When I Met You
by SashaNXR
Summary: After her dragon disappears, Lucy is forced to live on her own. At a young age, she finds Erza Scarlet and becomes friends. As the years pass, Lucy still searches for her dragon while becoming a feared mage across Fiore. Fulfilling an old promise, Lucy joins Fairy Tail and begins a new adventure. Pairing ErzaxLucy (Erlu/Luza). Stronger and smarter Lucy.
1. Prologue

**This is my first ever fanfiction in general. So, please forgive me for the inconsistent measures taken to it. I'm experimenting with how I write it but now, I have a clear idea of how I will. The pairing will be LucyxErza but don't expect pure romance or fluff. Just two people trying to live in a world, where they and their friends struggle to live in a dark society. **

**I'm re-writing the first few chapters including the prologue, so it fits in the arc of the respective timeline. It won't affect the current arcs that are being. The story does follow the manga/anime, but with my own twists. Not every arc will be included or be put in the correct timeline as it is shown in the anime/manga. **

**Also, forgive me if some of the ideas are unoriginal. I'll try my best to make it better. **

**But that's enough for now. Enjoy!**

* * *

The beautiful night sky hung over the lively festival. An Unprecedented amount of people rush towards the street, with beaming smiles on their faces. The aromas of eccentric foods fill the air. Children buy toys and masks for the occasion, and for friends. Adults call upon loved ones to hold hands and cherish the night.

Luminescent crystals flood the town. The light of the stars shine on the mesmerizing moon gems; different colors representing the five core emotions: fear, sadness, joy, anger, disgust. The music dances around and around with the night wind, both battling for dominance like a tornado. The ecstatic atmosphere moves with the people in a frail light. Words begin to wave into the existing night sky as announcements from the mayor heightens the cheery city further. Soon, people start to buy smaller crystals for the ending of the festival.

Rackets of music can be felt within the Earth. Through a simple crowd, a blonde child tries her best to tug on a scarlet-haired girl towards a clear opening. She pushes past people as graciously as possible in hopes not to dampen anyone's mood. She huffs in exasperation while hauling her friend. The scarlet-haired child stares at her friend with curious eyes. She would rather stay back at the inn than go on a wild goose chase. They make it to the clearing as a plethora of people populate the area.

Smiling, the blonde turns to her friend. "Okay. Now, we just have to wait for the fireworks. So please, just smile a little bit." she says. The scarlet-haired girl gazes away from her.

"I don't want to be here. There are too many people. I'm scared." murmurs the scarlet-haired girl. Being surrounded by an abound of people is starting to give her anxiety. She likes the decorations and the pretty crystals in the town, but being around people scares her heart. Too many uncertain scenarios, good or bad. Nervously she looks at the ground to try to calm down but it is futile.

The blond grasps the scarlet's hand and holds it. "I know you're scared, but trust me. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise you will love the fireworks." she reassures. She smells some hotdogs and sees a stand close by. She grins and turns to her friend. "Wanna get some food?" she offers. The scarlet-haired girl nods slowly before being fluttered away by her friend. The blonde excitedly orders for them and waits with stars in her eyes for them. Her friend ponders weirdly at her.

"Here you go, kids. Enjoy the food!" the boy at the stand says brightly. After paying and thanking them, the two girls make it back to the clearing. They find an even better spot near the railings and speed to take the spots. They quietly nibble their food while the blond leaps with excitement.

"How can you be so excited about fireworks?" asks the scarlet-haired girl. She watches her friend stare at the sky proudly. Over the two weeks, they have spent together, she has always noticed the cheery aura around the blond. It confuses her how someone could be so content about everything.

"You only live once, so outta' make it count." the blonde replies without taking her eyes off the sky.

Suddenly the scarlet exclaims, "Don't you miss your mother? I thought you said you wanted to find her. What happened to that!" As soon as the words come out of her mouth, her eyes go wide in astonishment. She did not mean any of those words, but of her frustration, she falters it out. "I'm sorry I-"

"It's fine." the blonde answers a little coldly. She sighs, glancing at her friend. "I do miss her. She gave me a home and my life. But if I become too focused on trying to find her, I'll lose focus on my surroundings." Her face softens, and she blankly beams at her friend. "Life is something you don't throw away the moment you find it. You respect and cherish it until your last dying breath. Remember that." The scarlet looks at her in shock with tears swelling in her eyes. She nods happily, respecting and cherishing the words of her friend.

They start to wait for a few more minutes before the disaster strikes. In a matter of seconds, they were pushed against each other. A large cluster of people flood the free space in a small time span. Struggling to notice anything, the blonde grasps the scarlet's hand quickly and pushes through the crowd. Just barely seeing the railings, both girls manage to find a tiny space for themselves. The scarlet gasps for air while the blond watches carefully. "I'm fine." The scarlet wheezes out.

"Fine looks normal. You look like you're 'bout to pass out." The blonde retorts. The last thing she needs on her list is an unconscious friend. "We can go back to the inn if you want." She offers.

The scarlet looks at her friend warily. "No, please. I wanna see the fireworks." She whispers shyly. The blond looks at her and sighs.

"Hmm, fine. But if you feel worse, then we'll go back." The scarlet agrees swiftly.

The mayor suddenly announces, "Ladies and gentlemen! Children and teens! Welcome to Crystal Town's annual Crystal Nightlight's Festival!" Approvals and applauses roar over the area. Both girls have to cover their ears from the abrupt noise. "Now, the fireworks will begin at any moment, so please calm down and wait for the fireworks!"

In an instant, the first crystals are shot up into the sky. The energy radiating off them is soothing and bright. The first gems collide, creating an elegant ray of colors in the dull night sky. As more of them hit the sky, the scarlet looks completely at peace. She feels a sense of calamity and safety. Something about the colors and the energy feels right for her. Through her one visible eye, there is a certain color of life. Her mouth turns upward slowly. Each moment she looks at the bright flickers of color makes her feel happy. She grips the railings tightly as she stares ahead in comfort.

The blonde rarely looks at the fireworks. The way the scarlet glimpses at the fireworks with pure joy, creates a sense of pride in her. She had no intention of watching the fireworks in the first place but came to see the scarlet smile. She just met the scarlet, but they had a strong connection with each other. She never pitied the scarlet for the troubling past but hoped to help her cope with it.

"It..it looks amazing!" The scarlet blubbers out. Her guarded composure is gone with the wind. "The way the crystals hit the others and explode. Just..woah!" The blonde chuckles wholeheartedly at her friend. The scarlet is in a different zone than reality.

"Told ya'. It's even better with friends." These words seem to click for the scarlet. She never had a friend outside the place she escaped from. She keeps mumbling the words on repeat. The blond places a hand on her shoulder and asks, "Hey, you okay?"

The scarlet looks at her with an unreadable expression. "You're not going to leave me right?" The blonde is taken aback in shock. "I lost my friends because of the tower. I don't want to lose you." These seemed so desperate almost like a cry of help.

"I'm not I promise. Besides, you just have to remember your friend even if they're not there in person." The blond stares directly into the scarlet's eye. "I promise that we'll be together forever. You'll protect me and I'll protect you too. We'll do a lot of things. For now, let's just watch the fireworks." Crying, the scarlet plunges into the blond's arms.

"Thank you." No other words needed to be spoken. A promise between the two is enough to be said. the blonde stiffens from the immediate contact. For her, it had been months since anyone had been affectionate to her. She is rather awkward to social cues for the most part but knows enough to keep quiet. She awkwardly wraps her arms around the scarlet. Even though the blond feels a sense of slight discomfort, she enjoys the hug and returns it back.

They enjoy the rest of the night with bright smiles on their faces. Both of them find a sense of joy in a long time.


	2. Chapter 1-Forgotten

**July 10th, X777, Somewhere in a forest**

"Celeste, where are you?" Lucy has been wandering around the forest for days, looking for her mother. She frowns and sits down on the muddy. "Did I do something wrong?" She feels her eyes crystalize and for the first time in years, she sheds some tears. She pulls her scarf to wipe away the tears and takes a deep breath. She takes a look at her clothing. Her scarf, which consists of a black, blue, and gray pattern, some sweats and a shirt. All of them freckled in some sort of mess. She sighs and gets up. She puts on her boots and brushes off the dirt on her clothing.

Lucy glances at the sky and sighs. "I lost track of time again. I can live off eating the sunlight, but some meat can do me some good," she mumbles. She had been searching for her mother for a few days but came up empty-handed each time. At first, she had not thought much of it but it soon turned to be her worst mistake. When her mother had not returned for the first few hours, she became frantic. But when hours stretched to days, she felt abandoned. She decides to venture deeper into the forest to search for some animals or other edible food. She manages to find some berries and mushrooms and brings them to the clearing.

She wipes the sweat off her forehead and hears some running water. She heads to the sound and finds a river. She leaps with joy but shortly frowns. She had nothing to catch the fish with. Popping like a light bulb, she finds some heavy rocks and smashes it against the tree. After prying off some bark, she sharpens the wood into a solid stake. She takes off her boots and heightens her leggings to her knees and walks into the water. She grimaces suddenly from the cold contact but keeps going. Immediately, she struggles to catch any of them. Finding, she is always off by an inch or two.

She sighs in frustration but refuses to give up. She remembers reading somewhere how refraction affects the appearance of the object. She widens her eyes in surprise before putting her idea to the test. After a few attempts, she is rather successful in catching a few. She grins while getting out of the water. Heading towards the clearing with the fish, she feels a sense of nostalgia. her mother had always taught to be never reliant on others. It is thanks to those troublesome lessons, she finds herself managing to survive. She places the fish down on some large leaves and plops to the ground.

Her heart aches terribly. The fear of abandonment plagues her mind. Feeling the need to shed more tears, she lets it flow. _It's okay to cry. It lets you know what's wrong and what you need to do. But you can't keep crying forever. You have to get up and tackle it head-on._ She hears her mother's words. She smiles and wipes her tears.

"Mom's right. I can't cry forever. I'll have to find her myself and get some answers." Lucy's smile enlarges more at her new goal. She decides to find the ingredients for the fire and sets off. After getting them, she starts the fire and cooks the fish. Eating sunlight or the moonlight would be a good solution to feeding her, but her body needs more proteins and vitamins than those can give her. After cooking the fish, she nibbles on them rapidly. Despite the lack of seasoning, it still retains a good flavor. Alongside the fish, she eats the mushrooms. Opting to save the remaining fish and the berries for the morning, she gets up and adds more fuel to the fire.

The night shines vividly on the young child. Lucy feels a sense of tranquility as she dazzles upon the stars. Remembering how she and her mother stargazed, Lucy smiles profoundly. The area is soundless apart from the gentle howling winds. She notices none extremely dangerous animals that would potentially harm her and contemplate her subsequent actions. She remarks some thicker trees. She decides to climb up on one of the trees and steadies herself on the branch. Gathering some larger leaves, she makes a quick makeshift blanket. Settling down, she yawns and doses off.

Dawn of the new day arises swiftly. Several dashes of color mixing into one and stop. The soundless forest fills up with chirping birds and many morning calls from different animals. Lucy's eyes twitch before slowly opening her soft eyes. She takes off the blanket and stretches her arms carefully. She slowly climbs down and eats her breakfast. When she is done, she ponders on her plans. _Well, I need money and resources to find Celeste. Not only that, but I need to get stronger. Even if I am 11, I need to do with what I have. First, I need to find people before I do anything else._ She decides. Lucy gets up and closes her eyes. With her heightened senses, she sets off in a random direction.

After a while, she decides to stop. Feeling frustrated, she kicks the grass. Not a second later, she senses something coming in her direction. "Boys, I think I heard something over here." She hears a deepened voice call out. She smells three other people with the man and panics. Lucy makes a quick decision and climbs one of the trees quickly. She hears more rustling and sees four men through the limited leaves.

"Jack, yer' deaf y' know." A blond man smacks his partner's head.

Jack grumbles in pain while his three friends snicker.

"I'm serious! I heard something over here." Jack tries to reason but ultimately fails.

Lucy's heart starts to race faster when she realizes the men are wizards. Her lack of experience in fighting anyone makes her think twice about attacking the men.

"Kaden, use your eye magic and track it down." He orders. Kaden mutters something under his breath but agrees. He closes and reopens them. A hue of gold replaces his normal eye color. With the enhanced vision, he sifts through the forest.

Lucy fears herself being caught sooner than she intended. She looks at the branch above in shock. Turning on like a lightbulb, she uses her magic and gently cuts the branch. She groans silently from the weight of the branch but sucks it up. Using all her strength, she throws the branch as far as she can. She looks below her and notices the men running that direction. She drops to the ground and runs in the opposite way of them. She runs for what seems like an hour before stopping to catch a breath. Once her breath calms down, she frowns. She senses that during her escape, she might have dove deeper into the forest.

"Y'know little girl, we don't like being tricked." A voice booms at her.

Lucy turns around fearfully. Her eyes widen as she notices the four men from before. Her breath catches her throat while the color drains from her face. She backs away slowly and puts her fists up.

"What do you want?" She musters the courage to ask.

Jack grins deviously at her while his companions smirk. "You look like a wizard. I can sense your magical power. Now, how come a girl like you is wandering the woods?" He steps closer to her. "I'm sure you'd fetch for a good price in the markets. Men would love using you as a slave."

Lucy's face dampens at the words. She narrows her eyes toward her surroundings, ready to take any measures necessary.

_**Sporadic Inferno!**_

He delivers several small combustions of lifeless heat towards Lucy, who narrowly dodges each one expect one. She hisses in pain and acknowledges the tender skin. No visible burns but a small scratch. She glares at the men, who look unamused. She lunges for Jack, who does nothing to dodge. She grins and uses her magic to blind him. Jack forcibly closes his eyes and puts his arms up in defense.

_**Celestial Dragon's Destruction Fist!**_

She delivers a crushing blow to his stomach. Jack moans horribly in pain and falls on his back. His companions look in astonishment at the pair. Jack clutches his stomach and stands up slowly. "Why you worthless little brat! You're gonna pay for that!"

"Jack." Kaden hollers at him.

Jack turns around and glances at his friend for an answer.

Kaden smiles and says, "That kid just used lost magic. Dragon-Slaying magic hasn't been around for 400 years. Only people who can use that magic are the ones who were taught by the dragons themselves."

Jack eyes Lucy suspiciously. "Say, kid, where's your dragon or parents?"

Lucy refuses to answer and backs away even further, hitting a tree. Smelling some ash, she backs away the tree to glance at the flames consuming it. _When I dodged, it must've hit the trees. I have to find a way to get help, or else everything is gonna head south._ Lucy ponders.

Jack laughs. "Looks like I might've set the forest on fire. How 'bout you come with us easily? You're outmatched."

Lucy feels completely helpless. The best option she has is to take out the bandits and quickly find some help. Cooling her mind, she charges for Kaden.

Seeing what she is planning, Issac uses his chain magic and catches Lucy in mid-run. He smiles and walks up to her. "We could've done this the easier way, but you just had to go ahead and make it hard."

_**Celestial Dragon's Scattering Light!**_

A beam of golden energy spreads from Lucy's body and attacks the four bandits easily. Lucy is free from the binds and watches the men get up in horror. She hears them curse at her. Without a warning, Jack charges for her. He lights up his fists and sends a right hook in Lucy's face. She falls backward with a stinging face. Slight burns caress the small area of her face as she bites her lips to hold the urge to scream. She stares at her opponents and slowly formulates a plan. _Okay, one uses fire magic, the other two use eye, and chain. Now, I need to figure out the last guy's, then I could take them down. _

Lucy lunges for the last member quickly. Landon watches the small figure charging at him. He merely smiles and sends a burst of scalding water at her. The attack stops Lucy from doing anything. In the moment of hesitation, Issac picks her up the collar and jabs her kidneys. She wails out in pain when she is dropped to the ground. Issac continues to bash her until he feels he has done enough. Lucy is covered with cuts, bruises, burns, and blood from head to toe. Most of her body feels completely numb from the beatings.

Issac backs away to clean his hands. Lucy slowly gets up and breathes heavily. "I'm not going anywhere with you idiots. I don't care if you're stronger, or there's of you. I'm gonna take you down and get out of this forest." She breathes out. Wiping the dripping liquid from her lip, she fully stands up to fight. _All of them have basic counters. I could all their magic against them as long as I'm quick on my timing._ She thinks.

Jack growls and charges for her. Lucy ducks away and runs for Landon swiftly, despite her aching injuries. Seeing through her attack, Issac catches her leg while Jack comes up from behind. Lucy's eyes widen in fear and tugs on the chains. Jack sends blasts of fire quickly. In the fit of fear, Lucy puts up a shield with her magic. Though it is weak in standards, it is enough to stop the fire. She uses her magic and frees herself. She decides to her**_ Celestial Dragon's Scattering Light _**to blind and attacks her enemies. The plan works, leaving the four men in disarray. Using this as her chance, she pushes Landon into Jack.

Both men in a fit of panic send their magic at each other, knocking them out swiftly with a small explosion. Lucy sees Kaden struggling to open his eyes and thinks. _When I blinded them, he must've been using his magic._ She ponders. Lucy avoids Issac's chains and stumbles on her footing. _I need to end this fast. I don't have much left in me after he beat me up. _

Issac smiles at her and says, "I'm impressed. No one's come close to taking us down. But here we have a kid, who took out two at once. Maybe you don't belong to a normal slave owner. Perhaps, something better."

Lucy feels the shivers down her spine becoming more rapid. The man disgusted and terrified her to no end. She always thought of herself as a confident and fearless person, but here she was fearing for her life. In the corner of her eye, she sees Kaden slowly getting up. She notices Issac his chains at her and catches it swiftly. Gripping to it tightly, she leans back her head while opening her mouth.

**_Celestial Dragon's Roar!_**

A vast amount of energy and light strikes Issac quickly. He falls holding his chest. Lucy knew that attack was not powerful to take him down, but enough to slow him. She uses his opportunity and repeatedly punches him with her energized fists, pouring half her anger into every hit. Once she sees him loses consciousness, she focuses her attention back on Kaden. She frowns from the ash invading her smell. She glances around Kaden, noticing the fire spreading out of control.

Lucy energized her fists and went for Kaden. He stops her by grabbing her fist. She sends a beam of energy with her hand, sending him back. She uses her leg and attacks his chin. Following up with several more attacks. She feels her body draining of both magic and will. Some point in her fit of rage, she sees the man drop. Lucy stares at her body in a foreign way. It scared her how her blind rage took over. She sighs in a small relief when she hears Kaden's heartbeat.

Her body drops to the ground as the fire surrounds the area. Through her blurry vision, she sees someone coming. "Mom," she whispers inaudibly before her whole world darkens.

* * *

**July 13th, X777, Colten Village**

Lucy opens her eyes. She notices a wooden ceiling, scratched and torn down. She lifts her body in pain and glances around. She is lying in a bed with other bedroom furniture around her. She notices her arms in bandages with most of her body. She pushes herself out of bed carefully, clutching her throbbing head._ I don't think I was enslaved. My injuries are patched, and I don't have restraints. But where am I?_ She thinks.

Lucy walks over to a table and holds some new clothing in her along with her scarf. She uses a chair to lock the door while she changes. After she is done, she leaves the room and heads out. She forcibly squints her eyes from the sunlight. She hears the voices of children playing. After feeling her eyes adjust, she walks out further. She notices small houses, shops, and large farms. She clears her suspicions and walks over to a small pond. The surrounding area gives her a sirene feeling of tranquility. She lies on her back and closes her eyes. She feels content as the sun hit her face. It reminds her of the times she and her mother would sit out in the sun and enjoy the day.

"You're quite energetic." a voice calls out to her.

Lucy opens her eyes and comes face to face with a boy with blue hair. She instantly backs away from him and stands up.

The boy sighs and looks at her. "You can relax. I'm not gonna hurt you. Though, I'm curious. What were you doing in the middle of a burning forest, covered in bruises?" he asks.

Lucy's eyes widen. She grabs him the shoulder and pulls him closer to her. "Did those guys get away?" she asks frightfully.

The boy scratches the back of his head, not shocked by the rash move. "Nope. They're in the village getting treated."

She loosens the grip on his shoulders and backs away. "I need to leave right now. Those guys bad news."

"We know." He straightens the wrinkles in his shirt with his hands. "The village head will treat them, then head them over to the Fiore Army."

"Jellal, are you here?" a tiny voice hollers from the forest.

Both children turn around to see a little girl in short blue hair, dashing at the boy. "Jellal, you're fine." she murmurs into his shirt.

Jellal chuckles. "Relax, Wendy. I'm not going anywhere."

Lucy comes closer to the pair with a scrunched eyebrows. "Sorry to ruin the moment, but mind tellin' me who you are?"

Jellal turns around, giving Lucy his full attention. "I'm Jellal, and she is Wendy"-pointing at Wendy-"You're in Colten Village. We found you out in the forest three days ago, passed out in the middle of a forest fire, beaten up."

Lucy bites her lip in shyness. "Thanks. I owe all one for saving my life back there. How did you guys put out the fire? It looked like it spread a lot."

Jellal puts a hand on his chin and thinks before answering. "Our village has a few wizards, who use water magic. So, we were lucky they tagged along when they did." His eyes fall on Lucy's scarf. They had the appearance of a few dragon scales. His suspicions begin to form. "Say, where did you get that scarf from? It looks like dragon scales."

Lucy looks at him for a second, trying to decide. _Nine times out of ten, if I tell anyone my mother is a dragon, they'd never believe me._ She sighs and decides to give it a shot by telling the truth. "My mom gave it to me for my 5th birthday. She was a dragon, so she decided to use her old scales and turn it into a scarf." She starts to wait for their ridiculous comments, but she never hears one.

"Did your mom disappear on the 7th?" Wendy asks timidly.

Lucy furrows her eyebrows in concentration. "What's the day and year?"

"July 13th, X777." Jellal answers.

Lucy closes her eyes and thinks about the time. For some reason, the date sounds funny to her. Then again, she is never one for paying attention to time. "Yeah, I guess could say she disappeared around that time," she mumbles.

Jellal looks at Lucy in confusion. "Two dragons disappeared at the same time. This is a coincidence."

"Two?"

"Wendy's a dragon slayer."

Lucy's eyes widen and frantically turns to the little girl. "You're a dragon slayer?"

Wendy awkwardly hides a little behind Jellal. "Yes." she squeaks.

"Cool!" Lucy yells happily. She sees Wendy turn a little red from the compliment. Lucy laughs softly. "No need to be shy. I bet you're super strong. What element do you use?"

"I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer," Wendy says proudly, feeling more confident than before.

"So, this is the place you three ran off to." a voice says. Emerging from the shadows, an old man with a traditional robe and wooden stick walks to them. "Jellal, didn't I tell you to introduce me to the blonde when she woke up?"

"Sorry," Jellal mumbles in shame.

The old-man laughs. "My, so serious. You can learn to relax." He faces his attention towards Lucy, who keeps him with great curiosity. "I see you've finally woken up."

Lucy walks forward, trying to keep herself from saying anything stupid. "Thanks for saving my life. I don't know what would've happened if you weren't there."

The old-man ruffles her hair. "You have quite the manners which I like. I see you're alone. What happened to your parents?"

Lucy bites her lip and looks away. "I can't find them. I've been trying for a few days to find them."

The old man puts a hand on his chin while deep in thought. After some moments of silence, he looks down at Lucy. "I can't have someone as young as you running around alone. There is a great deal of danger in this world. You shall stay in this village with those two, helping around as much as you. Sound good?"

Lucy nods rapidly. She is in no mood to become someone's slave. Not after what went down by herself. She feels something warm inside her heart booming gently. The old man hollers the three to come along, showing them what they will be doing. As she is given a tour of the village, she relaxes her tense muscles. She could say that her near-death encounter makes her think consciously. It makes her desire to grow stronger increase further. Now with people around her, she needs to be stronger.

The night has fallen. The old man decides to let Lucy sleepover at his house for the night. He could tell the girl would be overwhelmed with everything after the fight. They both walk towards his house. As they settle down, he offers Lucy to bathe while he cooks. He heads to the kitchen after giving the girl instructions. He sighs in relief when he finally manages to cook some chicken. He knows he is not a good cook, but he could make do with he has. He places the pot on the table and almost calls Lucy over. He notices the young girl sitting by the window, staring distantly into the night sky. He takes off his apron and stands beside Lucy.

"It's a pretty night, huh?" He tries to spark some conversation.

"Yeah, there's something so nice about looking at them. My mom always stargazed with me every night. I guess I can't grow out of the habit." Lucy responds, never taking her eyes of the night sky.

"Stars are divine objects. They're one of the purest entities in our world. In a sense, they give us some hope."

Lucy finally looks at the old man. "Do you think I could ever find my mom?" she asks quietly.

"Some children spent years or lives trying to find their parents. Some succeed while others didn't. In the end, most of the children found their parents, but they didn't get what they wanted." he explains calmly.

"I don't care if it's not the answer I'm looking for. I just need to find out why she left." Lucy says with a fire burning in her eyes.

"You're quite the ambitious kid aren't you?" He says while Lucy's cheeks turn red. "I'll tell you what, would you like to live with me?"

"Um, but don't you have someone with you?"

"No, I live here on my own. It would be nice to have some company."

Lucy smiles brightly. "Okay, but I don't know your name."

He glances at Lucy with soft eyes. "Call me, Caium."

* * *

**November 21st, x777, Colten Village**

"Caium, can we go back yet? I think we carried enough wood." Lucy whines. She and Caium had been helping a few of the villagers carry wood out to a near water source leak. They had patched it off efficiently all due to Lucy's magic. Lucy lies on her back with sweat covering her body. "And to think it's becoming winter. What bullshit." All of a sudden, a pile of tiny rocks are thrown over her body. She gets up in a frenzy, trying to find out who did it.

"Geez, learn to not curse in front of little children. Wendy looks up to an idiot like you." Jellal retorts at her. He is nearing patience with her, but he finds it funny to argue with her. Though Lucy seems smarter for someone raised by a dragon, her poor social skills amuse him. "Where'd you pick up such language anyways?"

Lucy rubs the small bump on her head and pouts. "The other villagers. They were yellin' at each other about something, and that's how I picked it up." She decides to pick up the last of her wood and hands it over the villagers, who are building. She wipes the sweat from her forehead and sits beside Jellal. "Say, why didn't we bring Wendy along?"

Jellal sighs in frustration. "She's a child. How do you expect her to do the heavy lifting without getting herself or someone else hurt?"

"And you tell me to relax. You're the one who needs to chill out." She says and looks away for a moment.

Jellal cracks his knuckles and hits Lucy on the head. She falls to the ground, clutching her head. "Next time if you wanna say something, try not to insult the next person."

Lucy grumbles something under her breath, keeping her eyes away from him. "Fine, just don't hit me again." She gets up and wipes the dirt off her clothes and notices a few apples on a tree. She grabs them and tosses one to Jellal while she takes a bite into her own. Both of them munch away, enjoying the other's company. After a while, Caium comes and tells them to head back. By the time they make it back to the village, night had fallen. Lucy says goodbye to Jellal and heads home with Caium. "I'll get started on dinner. You take a shower first," she says while taking off her boots.

Caium nods and heads to take a bath. Lucy takes out some chicken from a makeshift fridge and starts seasoning the chicken. After she is done, she cooks it quickly with her magic and sets up the table. After ten minutes, she is done with dinner and waits to take a bath. Caium walks out and waits at the table for Lucy. They finish dinner and sit on the couch. Lucy reads a book while Caium looks over some papers for the village. To them, this is any normal day. Nothing out of the ordinary since Lucy came to the village.

Lucy yawns as her eyes start to flutter shut. She pushes herself up and puts the book away. "I'm headin' to bed," she mumbles and heads upstairs, without waiting for a response. She carelessly opens the door and slams it shut after entering. She rummages for her pajamas and puts it on quickly. She then stares at her scarf with a different look._ Four months and still nothing! Mom probably thinks I'm pathetic._ She thinks bitterly. _Starting tomorrow, I need to travel outside of the village to expand the width of my search._ She clutches her scarf tightly and drops flat on her bed.

Her eyes shut close as the night sky turns into a beautiful dawn. She slowly opens her eyes and sits on her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she gets out of bed and takes a bath. After dressing herself, she walks downstairs to greet Caium and have breakfast. She silently eats her breakfast at a great speed. Caium notices the aura around the blonde and stars to break the silence.

"Something wrong?"

Lucy sighs and pushes the plate further away from her. "I wanna search for my mom outside the village borders."

"Out of the question," he replies before she puts another word in. "Do you have a single idea of how much trouble you could find yourself in? Or did you forget what happened to you when you first arrived?"

She bites her lips in frustration. "I know, but I can't stay here forever. I don't wanna waste the time I have." She gets out of her seat and stands in front of Caium with great determination. "I've learned to take care of myself. And besides, I wanna see the world outside of this place. I love being here, but I'm a curious kid. I can't stay in one place and be satisfied forever."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

She glares at him. "I'm not doing it out of curiosity." She clenches her fists. She knows she is getting agitated too quickly, but she has no way of putting this matter lightly. She had been searching for her mother in the forest for the past few months, but she knew deep within her heart she needed to leave to go search. "It's just getting to me that I can't find her. I don't wanna keep chasing my tail when I could chase something else."

Caium sighs. This issue had been brought up a lot during the past few months. Usually, in the end, he could convince her to stay within the boundaries. But something in his brain is nudging her to go search. He had grown to take of Lucy as his own child, despite never getting married or having children. Judging from the look Lucy is giving him; she is not planning on losing this argument. He guesses her resolve had grown stronger. "So, you're planning to chase something that could kill you," he remarks. If he was being honest with himself, he is trying to give himself a reason to let her go search.

"I'm not knocking on death's door."

He hums in amusement. "Everyone says that, and then find themselves in a predicament. And if you haven't noticed, you've made yourself quite known since you've arrived."

"Not my fault. I was being chased by those bandits. You're the one who called the Council to get them sent to prison."

"Be it that. You just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," he says, "Those men had deep connections to some dark guilds and cult. If word ever got out you left this village, you'd be living with a large target on back forever."

"Who said I'm permanently leaving the village?"

Caium's eyes widen in surprise. "Then what are you getting at."

"Think of it as a wizard job. I leave for a few days to search, then I come back."

He closes his eyes and thinks._ It's good to know she isn't leaving permanently, but I still can't trust her out on her own. She's a little too reckless not to get unwanted attention. Perhaps, I could ask Jellal and Wendy to go with her._ "I'll tell you something, but only if you're willing to listen." He looks at her rapid nodding head and continues, "I'll let you go search, but as long as you have people with you. Since you're closest to Jellal and Wendy, they will always come you."

Lucy leaps into Caium's lap and hugs him tightly. "Yes! I don't care if they tag along, just as long as I can go search." The jump makes the chair unstable, and both of them fall. She squints her eyes as an instinct and waits to get hurt. When she realizes she is fine, she opens her eyes and gives Caium and sheepish smile. "Sorry."

He chuckles and lifts her to the side while getting up. "You're too hyper. You need to control your emotions child."

Lucy looks away with red cheeks. "I..know," she mumbles. "Can I start today? I don't wanna waste time." She sees him nodding and gives him one last hug before running out the door. She dashes through the village silently and gets to Jellal's house. She already knows they are awake, so barging in would seem fine. She kicks open their door and greets them. The pair seem completely unfazed by the blonde's actions and start a conversation. Lucy tells them her plans, and they reluctantly agree and leave immediately. Lucy grabs a bag and some other things from her house and meets the pair near the entrance.

"Ready?" Lucy asks as they walk out.

Jellal sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "As I'll ever be. Do you even have a slight clue, or we just going on a whim?"

Lucy huffs at him. "Of course I have a clue. I'm not stupid." She stops walking and pulls out a map from her bag. The pair hurdle around her. "The marks are the places where I heard of some dragon sightings or other dragon-related activities. Since this is our first outing, we won't go that far. Out of the forest, we should come across a town."

"At least you have a brain in that head of yours." Jellal retorts. It doesn't take long for the argument between the two to start. After a few minutes, both start to calm down and walk out of the forest with Wendy beside them. The little girl didn't bother the two during the argument because she knew there wasn't going to be an easy way to stop it. It takes the whole day for the group to get out of the forest and head for the nearby town.

They decide to set up camp for the night and head to the town in the morning. As the night passes, Lucy's excitement grows to an overweighing amount. She doesn't know how to explain it, but it feels refreshing to travel somewhere new while searching for her mother. The morning comes around as the group is back on their feet. The rest of the journey doesn't take long, and they manage to near the town quickly. With the smell of new land, Lucy's senses run wild. She keeps sniffing the area for people or anything new when she smells something.

Lucy stops suddenly while her eyes go wide. "I smell dragons," she says with amazement. She quickly runs ahead in the direction of the smell and approaches a small steep side mountain. She carefully walks don the mountain and finds some eggshells with a dragon scent fully covering it. _That's kinda' odd. There are so many cracked eggs, but nothing that shows what's been here_. She thinks. She picks up a small piece and sniffs it for a better smell. As she almost makes another mad dash for the town, Jellal pulls on her collar, halting her quickly.

"And where do you think you're running off to this time?" he asks. He doesn't want to play with catch up again.

"Sorry," she mumbles, "I smelled some dragon eggs, but they also smelled tainted. The smell leads to the town." She gets out of Jellal's grip and heads to the village with them.

When they arrive, they are greeted with an eerie silence. The houses are empty, the items are filled with dust, and the entire place is deserted. Lucy splits up from the group and heads in a different direction of the smell. As she walks further, she gets a faint smell of a person. She clenches her fist and encircles it with her magic as a precaution. She nears the corner and peaks to see someone but doesn't find anyone. Instead, she finds a litter of broken dragon bots. She cautiously picks one up and sighs in relief when she realizes they are not working anymore. She drops it and walks around in confusion. She predicts something had done something to the people. She frowns at the thought. Sighing, she decides to walk to the entrance and wait for her friends. After ten minutes, her friends show up with the same expression.

"You guys find the same thing?" Lucy asks solemnly.

Wendy nods weakly and adds, "How did they make a dragon?"

"They could've read some books and found out how to make it."

Jellal huffs in frustration. "Aren't you remotely not concerned about the town's emptiness?"

Lucy feels a vein popping out of her forehead. "Course I am. Somebody was here a few days ago. But I doubt they did it." She puts a hand on her chin. "Judging from the condition, I'd say this place has been deserted for about two months."

"Well, that's just great," Jellal grumbles, "This was a waste of time."

Lucy turns her head to the side to look at Jellal. "It wasn't. We can report this to Caium and have him do something about all of this."

"Lushee is right. I haven't seen or smelled any blood, and I don't she has either." Wendy reasons.

"Fine, let's head back now. It's getting dark, and I don't want whatever happened to them happen to us." Jellal finally says.

He leads them back through the mountains while the sun falls out of the sky. They camp for the night and pick up right away the next morning. Throughout the night, Lucy couldn't help feel something bad happening. She tries her best to shake the thoughts off but they lingered. As soon as they start walking the next morning, Lucy keeps vigilant for anything horrible. But nothing prepared her for what she is about to see.

As they keep walking, Lucy smells something burning. She stops walking and sniffs the air. Her eyes widen as she smells a large amount of smoke and burning coming from ahead. "There's a fire in the forest!" she yells.

Jellal quickly pulls out one staff from his backpack and clutches it tightly. He walks ahead carefully and sees the bright orange flames inching closer to the group. He puts the staff on the ground forcefully.

**_Aquatic Disarray! _**

A large pressure of icy water floods into the flames, putting them out instantly. Jellal decides to charge ahead further while putting out more of the fire with his magic. He makes sure the girls are close to him at all times. As twenty minutes pass, they start nearing the village entrance. He puts out a large amount of the fire and ushers the girls to hide with him as he hears some people nearby.

"That was a good bunch. We could sell some of them around Fiore. Too bad we're doing sending it to the Tower of Heaven." one of the cloaked figures says.

The other one chuckles. "Would you relax? We're getting a lot more this time around."

A woman with light brown hair and pale skin comes closer to them. "Would you two dimwits stop chatting? We have important work to do." She glares at them menacingly. "Besides, we haven't found the girl of our true objective."

One of the cloaked figures removes his hood. He has blonde hair and silver eyes. "Learn to relax Caroline. We'll find the little blonde dragonslayer soon. I'm sure with the destruction of her village, she's bound to turn up." he reasons calmly.

Caroline knits her eyebrows. "Tell me again why we are wasting our time chasing a little girl."

"Dragonslayers are quite rare. Most ones we found already belong to other legal guilds. If we were caught kidnapping one, we'd be in big trouble. Our guild could be in a really dark light."

"Let's just forget about her. If the time comes again, then we'll find her and catch her." She turns around and walks back into the village. "Now c'mon Kaz, let's blow this joint."

Kaz smirks and puts his hands together, creating a large ball of dark energy.

**_Abyss Madness!_**

The entire village is covered in a vast dark cloud. The lines of purple streaks touch the ground and explode. In a matter of seconds, the entire village is gone. Smoke from the ground rises as the three figures laugh into the dreadful day. The voices die down as the figures vanish from the scene.

Lucy's world falls apart piece by piece. Not one inch of her mind is left spared. She hesitantly walks out of the bushes and onto the charred ground. The surrounding area resembles a meteorite crash site. Lucy's legs give out as her eyes stare blankly at everything. She feels her body shaking and her throat rasping for release. She digs her fingers into the ground with trembling lips. Small whimpers leave her mouth as the tears flood down her face. She couldn't feel anything; her emotion in complete madness of their own. The once sunny day is covered with dark clouds, signaling a mournful event over the devastating attack.

She didn't know when, but somewhere through the fog her mind, she knew a part of her was gone with her village. "I'm sorry," she whispers before screaming her sorrow into the deafening thunder.

* * *

**January 27th, x778**

"Lucy, we need to talk." Jellal places a hand on her shoulder. He watches to make Wendy is asleep before talking with Lucy.

Lucy turns her to the side to give him her attention. She isn't one for words these days as she had been before. But she learned somewhere it was common courtesy to give other people her attention when needed. She hums gently, allowing her friend to continue talking.

Jellal sits down beside her and looks at her. These days, they didn't need to talk to each other to know what was wrong. If he had to guess, he just assumes their bond had grown stronger since that day. "We can't keep going on like this. I don't Wendy getting involved with this," he pleads.

Lucy turns her head away, staring distinctly into the orange and yellow glow. "What are you trying to say? We don't get justice for what they did to our village?" she asks him.

"Damn it, I'm not saying that. I want to get them back as much as you do, but we have to reasonable here. How do you expect us to go up against a light guild? We'd be in over our heads!"

"So what? We'll just play it out carefully. Once we get more information, we can stop them from attacking anyone else. We'd be one step closer to finding everyone."

Jellal looks at her with pitiful eyes. "You can do that if you want. I have my own life to lead. Not to mention, Wendy is just seven! You want her to drag her into this madness?"

"No," she says quickly, " I want her to stay out of this as much as possible. I just want her to be happy again. She's always so worried about something, it scares me." Lucy clenches her fists tight, nearly turning white. "But I can't just let this go..."

"Then you're on your own."

Lucy snaps her head to the side. "What?"

"Lucy, I have bigger issues I have to solve. And you have this and your mother to find. I have no doubt you could probably do both, but Wendy isn't so lucky. She needs a responsible figure looking after her. We're just a bunch of kids ourselves. How far do you expect on going before you regret something?"

"Are you saying we give her away to a guild?" Lucy whispers. Her bangs cover her eyes completely.

"Yesterday while you were out taking out those bandits, I came across this guild, who is willing to take of Wendy."

"You were gonna give her away even if I hadn't agreed," Lucy says. Hearing no response from him, she stands up. "Starting tomorrow, we'll go our separate ways."

"Y'know, just because we're splitting up doesn't mean we can't look out for each other," Jellal says quickly. He gets up and stares directly into Lucy's eyes. "If either one of us in trouble when we least expect it, then we can call each for help."

Lucy raises her eyebrows in confusion as Jellal pulls out a small red amulet from his pocket. He goes onto explain how it works and what to do. Lucy listens intently, not skipping one detail. After his explanation, both of them go to bed. By the next morning just as planned, Jellal and Wendy first left.

Lucy sighs and gets up, packing the rest of her belongings. She had to admit, she was going to miss them. But it was better for all of them to follow their own paths, no matter how dark or dangerous. Lucy had made an oath that day to get revenge to responsible and become stronger to prevent something so tragic from ever occurring again. She takes out a map from her bag heads north to a near caravan. Those places were filled with fights and magic. She learned to pick up most of the fights from observing or doing it herself rather quickly. Making notes for later on in the line. She also knew to get some money saved up. People have lives; she tried to make sure she wouldn't be causing more damage than intended.

Over the past two months of traveling, she slowly earned a nickname; Unova. At first, the name felt icky on her tongue. But soon enough, she started going by it to prevent anyone from learning her name in case if something were to happen in the future. She was smart enough to trust her knowledge and instincts to get her through most situations. The nickname spurred up due to her destructive magic power and menacing behavior towards the job she had taken.

It doesn't take long for Lucy to reach the caravan. She avoids most of the men and slips past most of the rowdy customers. At the corner of her eye, she spots a small bar with a lonely bartender. She picks up her pace and soon finds herself sitting in a chair. She orders breakfast with her money and watches in awe as the men fight for victory. Eating her breakfast, she sees a man with a leather jacket sitting beside her. Something in her mind tells her the man isn't here for a simple drink or food.

The man looks at her with curious eyes. "Are you Unova?" he asks suddenly.

She gives him a subtle nod while keeping her guard up.

He sighs peacefully. "If you are waiting for a job, then I could give you one."

Lucy looks at the man funnily. _Is this guy high or somethin'?_ She thinks.

The man ignores her odd look and continues, "A few days ago, a guild came by a village and completely burned it down to the ground. I saw kids and adults getting kidnapped, no matter their age. I heard it might be related to the Galatic guild, but no one's for sure."

After hearing the guild's name, Lucy gives the man her whole attention. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to save those people from whatever. They're gonna do somethin' to 'em tonight. They're in town, so you don't have to worry too much about traveling."

"Which part of town?" She knows the caravan is near a rather small town.

"Docks."

"How much am I getting paid and where will I be paid?"

"100,000 jewels. You'll be paid near the town's fountain. I'll give you the paper." He takes out a piece of paper with information about the mission, reward, and several other legal transactions.

"Does the council know about this?"

"They don't give a shit about us, or people like those villagers."

She hums. "I'll do it." She thanks the man and leaves the caravan and heads to the town. Lucy knew what she was getting into. If she were to regret something, it would be of her own accord. The Galatic Guild had been the ones responsible for her village's demise. But things are never easy; the guild is a light guild. If she attacks, she'd be the target of several people at the same time. With the way she is now, she is nowhere strong enough to handle it.

As she walks to the town, she couldn't help but glance at the bright sky. "I wonder what mom would think of me."

* * *

**This is the end of the rewrite. I changed a big portion of the story, but it still remains under the story plot. I just wished to expand on a few ideas. As for her meeting with Erza and the Heartfilias, those will be done in Erza's background and a chapter within the Phantom Arc. Lucy is a bit rougher around the edges and more aggressive, but she retains that childish part of herself. **

**Power scaling will be further explained in the coming chapters, but that's enough for now. **


	3. Chapter 2- Tower of Heaven

**Erza's POV**

Freedom, such a unique meaning for a small word, yet it can express heavenly peace. I've always wondered what it is like to experience it. It was so long ago that I could barely remember it. Sadly that dream seems far away right now.

The Tower Of Heaven, the place I'm being held prisoner and slave of. A few years ago a cult abducted people to take to the tower and work them as slaves to build it. They burned down several villages homes. Killed, tortured, and abducted many people. They didn't care what kind of people it was as long as they can work. I was one of many. I was abducted from Rosemary Village as I watched it go down in flames, but I was glad to save one girl from being taken instead they took me. I had no family prior to this as I lived in an orphanage. I didn't enjoy living there, but I'd gladly accept that place instead of this.

The Tower of Heaven is a place specifically designed to hold and cast a certain type of magic. The R System or the Revive System is black forbidden magic. It is forbidden due to it's horrendous way of casting it. It required great magic power and many human sacrifices. The tower is still under construction as I and many others are forced to build it. Life here is a walkthrough hell itself without the flames. Outside of the tower was just water. We were in the middle of nowhere and the only way out is through a boat. The tower looked like a black gray spiral with clock gears coming out of it reaching the sky. At the top, was a giant encased green circle which had massive crystals coming out of it. It practically looked like snakes rising from the ground reaching the high skies with clock-like markings embedded on them. The internal workings of the tower was however, dreadful. The bareness of the rocky floor which was uneven thanks to island just made it worse. The gray dark walls were bare without recognition as if they were new, but they weren't, anyone could tell it was a cover up by simply going closer to it.

The one thing I wish I would forget were the people held there. The fear and desperation in their eyes could break the strongest of men down to their trembling knees. We were treated like animals and pets for them to toy around. Sadly, they easily could. We were powerless and helpless. Most of the people were normal with no prior knowledge to knowing magic. Those who did had restrictions placed on them for safe bets they would not escape. The men wore dark green pants reached their ankles or knees with a plain white sleeveless shirt. No shoes just walking in our bare feet. Whilst the women had a light blue sleeveless dress on that reached a bit above the knee. Same as the men, they didn't have shoes. Everyone had on magic cuffs. They were gray hexagon cuffs with a slightly big pink circle attached to it. The cuffs made it easier for the guards to drag people around with them to wherever they went.

We all lived in massive cells that was basically a cave minus the bars holding us within it. Even though our lives were burning away from our souls, we managed to make friends make those tough times a bit better. I would know as I've made a few myself. Sho, my younger adopted brother, has a darker shade of blond hair and a tanned skin. He has big black eyes and his hair is also a bit pointed upward. Nonetheless, he is a kind-hearted and caring person. There's Milliana a young girl with short brown hair that it to her ears. She had an olive skin with small black eyes. She had a cat obsession and would smother the dear creatures to death. Then is Wall-e. He had spiky black with pale white skin as mine and black eyes. He had a big round nose and an oval face. He was scared like the rest of us, but that didn't stop him from caring for us. There is also Simon. Black hair that reached his ears, yet didn't reach his forehead. Like Sho, he had tanned skin and black eyes. Round face with determined eyes always on his face whenever we saw him. He looked tough and mature, but underneath it all was a caring and loving man.

There were two other people who were extremely close to me. One of them was Grandpa Rob. He was an old man with his white hair reaching his back with a band holding up his hair at the front. On his back was an insignia of a magical guild was affiliated with before he got captured. He had dark skin and his entire body was covered with wrinkles showing his growing old age. His voice was rough, but caring. His dark black eyes held love and warmth while his mouth was small with a mustache surrounding it. He told me stories about the guild he was in. Fairy Tail the number one and strongest guild. They were a family that required no blood relation just simple bonding and trust. He told me if I ever found freedom from this place that I should visit the guild with and maybe learn magic. He always said magic was apart of one's body and that when a person feels extreme emotions surging through them with power so deadly is when magic is born. Magic is from love and that is where it all starts just from one word, love. The other person was Jellal. He had blue messy hair that looked like the ocean. He shared his pale white skin like mine with medium black eyes. Along his right eye, was a red tattoo that shimmered down to his nose. His round face and contagious smile could brighten up anyone's day. He was also so brave and courageous from the start and always spoke out in wanting to protect his friends. I always admired him for that and I still do.

Today was no different from the rest, people miserably working their souls out to finish this damn tower. Dust, sweat, blood practically colored cracked stone floor. The walls were going in and out of the tower looking as though we lived within a cave or mountain. The light wooden stairs connected to a larger platform were all over the place as guards on looked the sight before their vengeful, yet prideful eyes at us. Men pushing along massive crates whilst being stuck to a magic box which resembled an owl held them in place. While others were building or mining around the area. I was tasked with mining today which I was grateful for as the other jobs were too difficult if they were dragged on for longer periods of time. As I picked my pickaxe from the ground to start working, a child was crying from the pain in his as it looked it bled. I wanted to badly go over to them and help, but the guard noticed and swiftly took the child away. There was no point in dwelling this any further than it should, this feeling already has been inside of me for a long, yet it could never leave in which I was glad. As it always gave me hope that none of these heinous acts made me lose sanity of me as a person. I started to work and paid attention to anyone watching in case the guards found something they didn't like and find a 'solution' for it. I just hope I can make it back to my cell in one piece by the end of today.

(Time-skip to the cell)

I was back in the cell with several others and my friends. I wouldn't be able to call this place a cell so long it looked like a cave with exception of the bronze metal bars. I walked over to my friends to ease myself from work today. What they said to me afterwards completely changed my whole demeanor from relaxed to fear in a matter of nanoseconds.

"Erza, come on everything will be fine trust us. Nothing will go wrong and the guards won't find out," Sho spoke to me in an attempt to convince. By this point, I was already shaking a bit in fear and fired back with my own response to back out of this before it was too late. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and whisked my head to see Jellal offering me a small, but warm smile.

"Erza, don't worry about it. I'm really hopeful they wouldn't catch us now c'mon and help us. Once we leave this place, maybe we can find someone to help us on our path," Jellal explained to me in hopes to drag me more into this. I let out a tired sigh and nodded as a reward my friends were giddy and celebrating their escape as if they knew it would happen with extreme assurance. My brain joined in on the bandwagon, but my gut spoke a different story. If I listened to my gut then maybe I could have avoided the situation, my friends and I would find ourselves in.

_Few hours later..._

There was now a hole in the wall, but not too far in to see the other side. As we picked up our pickaxes, we heard the guards unlocking the cell and we froze like ice. Turning my head, I saw a bunch of guards with two cult members followed by creatures. The creatures were red with wings stretching out like dragons. No eyes, but sharp teeth ripping out of its mouth. Luckily, they had no legs or else they would have been much worse than they are right now. In a matter of seconds we were surrounded by them. The rest of the prisoners backed away from us to avoid punishment and conflict, with all honesty I wouldn't blame them at all as I knew why.

"Well well, looks like we caught ourselves some attempted escapees. As much as we want to punish all of you, we are limited on a time schedule currently. Let's strike a deal between us, you tell us who came up with the escape plan and we

let the rest of you or we hurt everyone else in this cell if you don't comply with us," one of the masked men spoke. He wore a green overcoat with a karate-like clothing except it was black with a gray belt. Same with his friend except he wore a blue overcoat. They shared the same mask with weird marking on it which I couldn't understand with match gray boots. By this point, Sho and I were trembling while Milliana comforted Wally and both Simon and Jellal were just plain angry. Sho came up with the plan, but hell as I would let him take the punishment for it. With little courage coursing through me, I was about to speak out only to be swiftly cut off with Jellal speaking out for me. Sadly none of the men took the bait, they took me instead. While they did Simon and Jellal tried to get me and protest, but they were electrocuted with the magic. I lifted my face and gave them a smile while reassuring them I'll be fine. _If I only knew what happened next..._

_Few more hours later..._

I gained my senses back from the brutal punishment they gave me. I'm just happy for being alive right now as I've heard the stories of people disappearing from punishments. As I opened my eyes slowly, I couldn't see out of my right eye, but that barely scratched the surface of the overwhelming pain coursing through my veins. Once my vision fully adjusted though my right was dark, I saw Jellal carrying me out to a hallway. I assumed he fought the guards and my punishment givers in order to free from the room. The sandy walls and floors along with the odd owl statues made it feel as though we walked through some ancient tomb.

"Jellal, what are we going to do now," I asked in my shaky and hoarse voice.

"Fight. Fight for our freedom. That's the only way out," he replied in a strong and determined voice. As we made our way to the hallway, we were stopped by magic guards. They wore red robes with golden trimmings. No eyes, stone teeth and body, they were practically statues with magic power. We didn't have much of a choice, but to give up, so we did. They took Jellal away and tended my wounds and walked me back to my cell. Silently making my way there, the guards had a cart of pickaxes and shovels for people to start working. We reached my cell and they shoved me down to the ground. My friends and Grandpa Rob came around me to see my wellbeing. I stayed silent until something clicked within me. Jellal's words rang through me and I immediately threw the cart at the guards pushing them out of the cell. I stood up with my head held high and started an uprising.

_Hours later..._

More and more people started to join in the fight against the cult. Despite us being extremely powerless against their magic, we made it up in numbers and physical strength. I had an eye patch over on my right eye and wore a tiny metal piece chest-plate to protect myself. I had a wooden with a metal out layer circle shield. Bandages covered my arms and right leg as as sweat dripped down my forehead. Dirt, sweat, blood colored the floors and people all around us.

I walked over to Simon and Wally and we spoke for a split second before being blasted by an explosion. Explosions were setting of everywhere while people ran away. I tried to encourage them to fight and not run, but in the end my efforts were in vain. I was knocked to the ground by a woman while I tried to get up, I witnessed a blast heading for me. No time left to dodge it, my hands were covered by face as I waited for the pain because Grandpa Rob stepped in front of me and stopped it with his magic. He had magic, but it was running low. Magic was connected to a wizard's body like a second heart within them, so if a mage's body lacks enough magic, they die from Magic Deficiency Syndrome. My eyes widened, shock shaking through my battered and bruised witnessing the heroic actions of the old man lying in front of my sights.

Moments later with some recognition to situation, I spoke to Grandpa Rob mainly praying to back him off from whatever he will continue to commit.

"Grandpa Rob, what are you doing? Your magic is barely in your system, please stop!" my shaky petrified broke the everlasting oddness between us in shackles.

"Erza my child, please live on. This world still needs you. Escape and find freedom within your heart," he paused and looked at me before talking again, "Your smile has helped me through the darkest times in this place. Find someone to love and call family. Let time them and time heal your soul and heart. Live each day as your last and always cherish the days with your loved ones," his broken-hearted voice spoke to me one last time. My weary shocked eyes watched as he took one final blast from the ghoul-like guards and perished into nothing more than dust leaving his cuffs behind. Not one word left my mouth just staring at the dust.

The voices of my friends can be heard, them telling me to return back from my position. In that moment I snapped, something in my body wanted out and I complied with tears and a scream. A magic circle was bellow me whilst swords, shovels, pickaxes, and practically anything that could be used as a weapon floated of the ground. In a swift move of my arm, I aimed the weapons at them and watch it go flying at them. Countless unconscious bodies dropped to the floor, as rose from the ground, I picked my sword and raised it high in the air.

The crowd murmured amongst the lines of 'the girl can use magic' or 'woah she took out the guards'. Grandpa Rob I won't let you down as long as I am alive. With that I gave the crowd one last movement of courage and resumed fighting.

(Time-skip 30 minutes)

I went after to rescue Jellal from his torture chamber, but when I arrived, shock vibrated through my body. He was using magic attacking the guards mercilessly. I begged him to stop, but it only seemed to anger him more. He spouted nonsense saying that there was no such thing as freedom. Most shocking thing was he agreeing with the cults' beliefs. However, he hated the cult members themselves. With the fit of rage, he used his magic to decimate one of the masked men and threw the other one across the room. At this point I glanced around the room, dark purple walls with cryptic yellow writings. Smooth stone floors colored with blood and sweat. Seemingly one purple pillar with lines was in the room as a stand to hold prisoners and torture them. In the middle of the room, a giant crystal with giant shards came out of it, gave the room the only light in it.

Jellal and I went back and forth in an engagement of ruthless words in an attempt to persuade the other to give in to other's word. He has still going on about how freedom is a lie and such then as words crashed against me, one word changed the entire conversation. _'Zeref'. _The legendary dark wizard who has killed countless people and created monsters from the Books of Zeref. Creatures that surpass normal monsters of EarthLand. This cult was dedicated to bringing back Zeref from the dead through the R System. Worshippers who believed him to be a god, only to be fooled by lies, or so I believed, but in reality, the man who spoke about freedom and justice with pride befallen to the darkness we dreamt about escaping and destroying from. Whilst I tried to convince with some sense of actually getting out of this hell hole in the first place.

Once I was ready to fire back again with my response, he blasted me out of the room. Landing on the ground harshly, dust and wooden splintered surrounded my body. Looking up, Jellal walks closer to me with a sinister smirk as he stood on one of the constructional platforms.

"My dear sweet Erza, join me and our friends in finishing the construction of the tower. Together we will change the world with our lord Zeref," his voice shouted with craziness written all over it.

"What makes you believe they'll listen to your bizarre idea when they fear this place and that name with their lives?"

"Simple, I'll show them the power of Zeref then they will simply abide by him and follow him. Zeref is truly a remarkable god, wouldn't you say so Erza?"

"Say they do stay, how do you plan on treating them?"

"Ah, don't worry about that. Weak and unhappy workers are sloppy, they hardly get anything done, but strong and happy workers show some progress. Besides that, I believe Zeref would want me to rule with an iron fist by those methods instead of those of the vile cult. With that said, Erza join me and our friends in finishing of this tower and bringing back the lord."

"Never not when we are so close to our freedom. Everyone is waiting for us at the boats Jellal, please come to your damn senses already!"

"Seems like your answer is still the same. Since you won't join, I'll simply make you leave," he spoke very darkly for anyone's liking. Then in a matter of seconds my body was wrapped in a weird mist with red markings choking me of my oxygen and lifting me off the ground closer to Jellal. "I won't kill you considering you took out those fealty cult members for. However, I'll make you leave and you can't do anything about it," he paused for a moment. By this point my whole body was next to him while still in a choke hold. He pulled me closer to him as in a whisper, "Your not powerful enough to take me on Erza, dare to challenge me then maybe I'll make one of our friends suffer. Maybe I'll start with Sho," he whispered with pure evil intents in his voice. My eyes widened for a moment before my whole body was pushed back. "Set foot on this island and you will have to deal with grief and pain far worse than death itself. So don't go planning on telling the Council or else.." he spoke to me one last time before my world became dark.

_(Time-skip a few hours later with a dark sky)_

The sound of waves crashing upon the shore approach my ears whilst my eyes locate the wet sandy floor that my body seemed to be laying on. My body lifted up and took note of my surroundings. The night sky seemed so bright, yet deadly silent unless you count the waves. Memories appear in my brain of what transpired hours ago. Tears flowed down my face in thunderous speeds. I truly left them behind while I escaped with my freedom ahead of me. The world seemed so cruel granting me of my wish, but with a price that I must live with my life. I promised Grandpa Rob I would live and I plan on keeping it until I truly fall asleep forever.

The world seemed so quiet until screams of the broken and pained rippled the sounds marking whoever let out to be lost and forgotten. Even though they were my screams, they truly weren't anything compared to the others who weren't lucky. With that, sleep dawned on me and I let it wash over me thinking just for the time I am asleep that I let peace succumb me.

The sun shined bright in the empty blue sky. I realized I fell asleep on the shore, instantly I lifted myself of the sand and started walking over to the forest up ahead. Approaching the upcoming forest, I couldn't help but smile at everything around me. Despite all the circumstances and guiltiness, I'm not going to spend my time moping when I can waste it getting stronger. So many different shades of green captured my vision, the softness of the grass, the breeze of the air, the smell of life, and one particular feel of freedom. Walking further, I found a river and sat down beside it. It was truly then did I realize what my body looked like through the reflection. I cupped my hands together picking up the water and drinking it. So refreshing and clear, it really has been a while since I've tasted something like that.

After a few minutes of sitting by the river, I heard a sound that frightened me to no end. Maybe it was an animal or the wind brushing past the forest, but my gut knew it was a person. Quickly, I sat behind some bushes to avoid the person or animal from noticing me. Thoughts raced through my brain, so many what ifs and maybes. Whilst in my trouble thoughts I failed to register that the very thing I was desperately trying to avoid was behind me. Once I felt a tap on my shoulder, I was brought back to reality. The stranger in front of me seemed to be a little girl no older than ten maybe. She had blond hair and beautiful dark chocolate eyes that reflected the sun and my eyes. Compared to my scarlet red short hair, her blond short hair practically rivaled mines. She wore a black and blue scaled scarf with a black t-shirt and black leggings. Her boots were made up to her knees, but slightly below it. Her pale skin and tiny pink lips looked so entrancing that it could rival any other being with this girl's beauty. Her body features and skin were the same as mine except hers looked more normal compared to my frail bones. She seemed to be carrying a worried expression look along with a fishing rod.

"Hey you okay there? You seem really scared and bruised, why exactly are you that? How about you come with me back to my little camp I set up for a short while. I promise I won't hurt you and to make matters easy I'm alone as well," she spoke in a caring and soft voice. She seemed to genuinely care about my wellbeing, something that hasn't happened to me except a few people. As I thought about that, tears flowed down my face unbeknownst to myself. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to make you cry. I...uh...please forgive me and feel free to insure any punishments on me," the girl in front me spoke with utter guilt for my tears while bowing.

"It's not your fault. I just remembered something that made me cry. I'm not giving you any punishments. It is not my personality to do so and if is it okay for me to return with you? I don't know who you are and what your intentions are with me. My name is Erza Scarlet and if you give me your name then maybe I'll go with you."

"My apologies still, my name is Lucy Heartfilia. I just wanna protect ya' considering' yer' health. I promise I won't hurt you. To be honest I want you to my friend. You'd be the first," Lucy spoke to me. You could literally hear the happiness and kindness in her voice. She also avoided asking me what truly happened which is also very considerate. She is willing to trust a complete stranger and help them, this girl is definitely something else entirely. This makes me wonder if she is alone then why and how. I think it'd be best in both of interests to avoid asking the other.

I nodded at her questions simply. She literally jumped for joy and hugged me tightly, but also carefully to make sure I'm not hurt. I couldn't help but smile at her crazy antics, but maybe she could help me with my quest to find Fairy Tail and become stronger. Ever since I gained my magic, I was able to start sensing others with it too and judging from it, she has it too and a strong but small amount. Stronger than mine, but certainly not powerful.

She grabbed my hand and whisked me away in a direction I assumed to be her camp. The whole time neither of us spoke, but both us had stupid smiles on our faces which seemed so ridiculous. By the time we got there, I was worn out from walking. I guessed my wounds and fatigue finally caught up with me from before. She sat me down gently on the soft grass and walked over to the bag and grabbed some bandages. She walked over to me and started tending my wounds. As she started opening my bandages, I hissed in pain which led to her frown. After a few minutes, she finished with the bandages and handed me some of her clothing.

Thanking her quickly, I moved a bit deeper into the forest and changed into a tiny red dress that went to my knees and black boots that went to my ankles. I walked back to camp to see her reading a book. I haven't read a book in ages let alone write maybe she can help with that.

"Hey..uh Lucy, I was wondering if you could um teach me how to read or write. Like what I mean is teach some new things about it. I'm only asking because I haven't done it in a while," I asked her in a somewhat of a pleading voice. I have no idea why I trust her, I mean she is a complete stranger yet, I feel safe and calm with her. Maybe I could travel with her and bring her to Fairy Tail with me. She seems to be alone and somewhere in those eyes I see sadness. I still haven't recovered from my escape and I just have the feeling of letting her know my thoughts oddly. Probably because she won't judge just listen and support me. Hopefully I can learn some stuff about her. She looks up from her book with a big bright smile and ushered me to come over to her. She took some paper and pencils out and handed it to me.

"So, whatcha' want to write about?"

"Oh nothing for now, maybe for later. I was wondering if we could get into town and stuff. I haven't seen one in a while and frankly I want to see some other stuff," I tell her and she pulls out a map from the bag.

"Looks like the nearest town isn't as far away from here, but still a ways work. If we leave now we can make it there in a week to watch the town's sacred festival," Lucy explained. I nodded in agreement to her response. "However, we will leave tomorrow, don't worry we will have time still. Considering your state of health, it would be best to take a breather today so your muscles can relax as well as your mental status. Frankly like I said before, I don't know what happened to you, but all I know is that whatever did happen it caused your current state, so it will be best for me to look out for you and your wellbeing. Not that I am calling you weak or anything just precautions. I hope you don't mind," she spoke in a stern but gently voice. To say shocked was a mere word was nothing that could be described to what she just said. Honestly this kid is something else entirely and I like. She may look younger than, but certainly as hell acts more mature than me.

I can't help but think about what happened at the tower at that moment. Probably because she just spoke like Grandpa Rob, caring and protective like all those years he had done to me. Unconsciously tears pooled from my eyes while I was lost in thought. I snapped out of my trance state when I felt a pair of warm protective arms around me.

"I may not know what happened to you, but right now it is over. I feel a sense of guilt coming from you and the only reason I know this is because I know this situation all too well despite our different circumstances. I'm not asking you to forget what happened, but just relax knowing it is all over. One thing I learned is goodbyes can be put in many different terms for different people, but you can't let you get that down. No matter who said goodbye to you, you must look onward in life and continue to live life like no tomorrow," she spoke in hushed caring voice. In that moment I knew, I refused to leave to go anywhere without Lucy. Maybe she was a special person Grandpa Rob was talking about. She was everything I wanted in life no matter who they were. You could call me crazy, but I wouldn't care because right after all these years of suffering, I could finally relax in the arms and love of someone.

I wailed even more in her arms clutching her shirt more and in response she hugged me tighter, not fear but in reassurance. I just needed to let out in words or whatever form to her. If I don't, I fear I truly will never stop crying or the pain. Slightly calming down a bit, I told I wanted to talk to her about my life and how I ended up like this. She pulled me out of her arms and let me. She sat in front of me and nodded letting me know to continue. That I did, I explained from every inch and spec of my life to her. Her expression mostly consisted several things, but the major ones I could pick out was anger, sympathy, resentment, and kindness. She just listened to me without speaking out once even when I paused. She could be my little sister or something much more, but I could care less only to the fact is that I want her with me comforting and protecting me and maybe in return I could do the same for her.

By the time I was done, I no longer had any more tears to shed and looked up to meet her face again. She gave me a warm smile once again. Man her smiles are intoxicating and addictive, they could light up the whole world without it going blind once. She told me that she'll talk about herself considering I told her about myself and how we I trust her. She also told me she also trusts me despite us being complete strangers and that she has only done this thing once before with some special. She spoke her life story and I was entranced my every single detail. She was raised by a dragon after being abandoned by her parents. The dragon took her in and raised her as her own daughter teaching her many things from magic to life. Then came the part about her dragon's disappearance and why she is traveling alone. Although I don't tell her I want to travel with her to find her dragon, I ask to travel with her to the town to which is complied easily considering she wasn't going to leave for a while.

We talked and ate the whole day and slowly felt myself feeling happy and at peace. We got to know each other a bit more and she shared many stories about her travels while spoke more about the tower. At first she was angry at the things they did, but soon she hid it although I could it infuriated her. The daylight fell from the sky and the stars rose up high.

Sleep started capturing me only soon to be hit by the realization I'd have to sleep on the grass in the cold considering the temperature dropped. As soon as I told Lucy that I'd be sleeping on the grass while she slept in her tent, she immediately frowned and refused. We continued to bicker back and forth with the little energy I had left, but in the end she had won and made a little dance while I entered the tent. It was comfortable to be sleeping in the sleeping bag and tent, it brought a feeling of joy and warmth rather than the cold and sadness I'm used to sleeping in. Once I closed my eyes sleep befall me forgetting that Lucy was still awake.

Lucy's POV

This girl is such a handful when it comes to the smallest of gestures. Like I'd let her sleep on the grass what makes her think it is completely normal. Arguing with myself about this won't really get me anywhere considering I won our little argument. I'm just gonna sleep on the tree branch again since I've been doing it for a while and it is comfortable. I peek inside the tent to make sure she asleep and glad she is considering she needed it more than I. What she told me about her life really pissed me off to a fuming degree. How can people be so cold and heartless while taking pleasure in others' suffering is something I'll never understand. I really wanted to storm the place even if I had to take a boat...yeah no.

Last month I learned that the idea of getting on some sort of transportation made me extremely motion sick. Either way, with or without a boat I couldn't have gone to the island. I promised Erza not to only go there, but to also not to tell anyone else and I don't plan on breaking it anytime soon. I headed up on the tree branch and fell asleep clutching my scarf tightly underneath the heavenly stars.

I don't know how I woke up, but I did. It was still night out, but I heard some sobbing and immediately knew it was her. She must be awake or having some sort of nightmare. I jumped down and went inside the tent to see sobbing in her sleep with the visible light of the sky making it the only light. I went beside her and held her in my arms and she her crying stopped. I wiped her tears, smiling I fell asleep.

Erza's POV

I woke up to warm arms around me. Turning around to see Lucy practically hugging me while her head was on my chest. A slight blush arose on my cheeks, removing herself from me, I got myself up and started packing everything up. I ate some fish and left out some for her from last night. As soon as she wakes up, we will start our journey to the town. I think it was called Crystal. It wasn't long until she woke up and got ready. She thanked me for packing and the food packed the sleeping bag and tent. We decided to split the amount of stuff to carry making it easier for both us to move efficiently.

Out of nowhere, there was a loud sound in the forest, frightening of all of the birds. Lucy put herself in front of me with a serious look on her face while I had tears streaming down my face from the fear.

"Hey don't cry alright, I really hate people crying and especially you. I'll protect you I promise so for now just calm down," she reassured me and I nodded. Just then a giant beast came out of the forest, it looked like a Forest Vulcan. He looked absolutely hideous. He had purple all over his chest(abs), face,feet, and hands. Green stretching out from his pointy head to over his waist while his bottom and tail has a darker shade of green. "Listen up ya fat ape, I suggest you beat it or else you'll regret coming close to us!"

"Your one to talk to blondie. Looks like your red-headed is about to drench an ocean, maybe I'll pound on her just make you suffer," those words knocked the air out of my lungs. He wants to hurt me just to provoke Lucy. What's wrong with him.

"Last time banana brains, leave now or I'll pound myself with just my fists," Lucy spoke with utter venom and anger in her voice. She clenched her fists and her eyes were filled with anger.

"Then it'll be my pleasure to fight-WAIT I SMELL EGGS! I'll leave ya punks alone I just found my lunch," with that he left. Tears of relief came out of me and I stopped crying only then did I look at Lucy did I notice something. She looked like she's seen a ghost, completely white while her limbs look like they're about to give out.

"Your telling me that ape just provoked me into a fight then ends up leaving for food!," she yelled out. I just looked at her with a confused look urging her to explain. "Sorry, I just get riled up for fights, so I tend to get angry and excited in one,"she paused then grabbed up stuff, handing me my portion and taking her own."Well let's head to Crystal Town, you must be dying to see some civilization for some time. Just stay close to me alright, I'll keep you safe I promise," she told with a toothy grin on her face. She held out her hand and I nodded taking it, and with that she whisked me away again, off on a new journey together. She promised she would protect me, and I want to return the favor soon.

_(Time-skip Two Weeks) _

It's been two weeks since we've arrived into town, and it's been one of the most peaceful moments of my life. I learned why it is called Crystal Town because the city produces and is made up of crystals. The lights of the crystals are so beautiful, you could get lost in them. We got to the village last week and as promised, Lucy never let me leave her sights unless for some other things. She has been very protective and caring, making sure I was fed, clothed, bathed, slept. Every night, I'd cry from the memories, while Lucy just comforted me and with that I always fell asleep with no nightmares, just peace.

The festival was amazing, so many people showed up and celebrated it. The city was much more lit then. They celebrated a certain type of crystal that would glow brighter and more colorful on this day. When Lucy took my hand and showed me to it, it was majestic and eye-opening as she said it would be.

During the past two weeks, we got to know each other more, and I felt more protected. I had a desire to get stronger and protect the I love with all my might, but mostly Lucy, so I could care for her when she can't do it for herself. So every single day we spent, I challenged her to a fist fight and she'd win every time. She never went easy on me, but still held back, and for that I respect her. She knows I want to get stronger and more confident, and she's doing whatever she can to help me achieve it. She even bought us two swords, considering I've grown to love fighting with weapons. Even though she said she was terrible at sword fighting, she'd win claiming it was from some old experience. She taught me everything she knew about it and told me to figure the rest out considering it involved my magic and my method of fighting.

Around this time, I started to tell her about Fairy Tail, speaking about their adventures and how they are a family. She always had stars in her eyes when I talked about it. Even though it was from Grandpa Rob's perspective, she didn't care, and always enjoyed it, always commenting on it and praising Grandpa Rob. A few days ago I told I was going to join Fairy Tail and I wanted her to join with me. At first I thought she would have a happy expression, but no, it was entirely calculating.

For the past few days, she has been keeping a bit of distance, but not entirely. She told me she would consider the offer for a few days. Which leads us to today where she gives me her answer.

Its night out, and the stars are blanketing the dark sky. We are standing outside the hotel we have been staying in for a while. We have our stuff out of there as we decided today was our last day here. I don't know what I'll if she rejects. I'd follow her until she finds what she is looking for, then we can go back and join Fairy Tail together.

Her back was to me then she turns around with soft, but sad expression. "Erza, I'm sorry, but I can't join Fairy Tail yet. I still have my own quest to complete and you have yours. I think it's best we split ways from here. You could join Fairy Tail and you could welcome me when I join. I just can't hold you back from completing your goal for me. I know you want to come with me despite my remarks, but this time around your stubbornness isn't going to let you win this argument."

"Your darn right that I refuse to leave you. We've grown attached to each other, I just can't let you leave like that. I'm willing to wait to join Fairy Tail so long as I get to be with you," at this point tears pooled out of my eyes and my legs gave out. I fell to the floor and cried like no tomorrow. For some reason, this hurt more than leaving the Tower of Heaven. Lucy just hugged and soothed me.

"Erza please, no more crying. Don't think of this a goodbye, but just a see you soon. I know you want to come with me, but follow your own dream. I know it is hard leaving, but I promise we will meet in the future and you know I keep my promises. I know you will have doubts and nightmares, so just imagine me beside you guiding you through it alright. If you look up at the night sky every night then you will know I'm watching you, and I'll know your watching me. Your strong woman Erza, never forget that. You've gotten scarier and more confident over these past two weeks, never forget that either. Make a lot of friends, maybe fall in love, but they better be good. Please don't let the loneliness win, it'll destroy you," whispering to me the little girl hugging me. She was right in many ways that I'd hate to admit it. She also knows she is going to be alone again, yet she is happy for me to find the loving family and freedom I've always wanted. She truly is incredible and amazing. I calm down and finally speak.

"Your right Lucy, but it's going to be hard. I'll try to imagine you whenever I feel down or out of place. I'll try to make friends and not let the darkness consume me, and I will wait for the day you return to me."

"Well of course ya dummy, but thank you. It'll be a long while until we meet again, so if either one of us wants to get in contact with the other then we can look up at the sky and wish at the shooting star to make our wish come true. We can also ask around as well, just remember my last name though."

"Of course, thank you for everything Lucy, I'll never forget it. When we meet again, I want to challenge you to a duel to see who will win. You have won now, but prepare to taste defeat Heartfilia," I tell her with a smirk on my face. She promised me, and I know she'll keep it. She is also right, this isn't a goodbye, this a see you soon.

"I'll gladly accept it Scarlet. Well now it's time to get going. Magnolia is one train ride away, though it'll take all night to get there. You'll be there by morning, so make sure to use the money to buy your essentials," she smiled at me. "You know I have a bad habit of remembering people and their names, so you are allowed to smack me for that. I doubt I'll forget you though. Your hair is certainly unique and definitely hard to forget it," with that she starts to walk away from me. "I'll remember you Erza Scarlet because of your kindness and hair. Make sure to stay out of fights with powerful idiots. See you soon."

"See you soon Lucy Heartfilia," I whispered, knowing she heard me. With that I walked to the train station, heading towards Magnolia. Luckily I got there when I did, I just bought the last ticket to it. I headed towards the platform after purchasing my ticket, and not so soon the train arrived. I boarded the train and took a seat. It started to move and I stared out the window letting my thoughts run. This is my new chapter in life, and I plan to enjoy every second of it. For some odd reason, I could imagine Lucy complaining and turning green by being on the train. She gets motion sickness easily. I would've put her on my lap and played with her soft blond hair which seemed to always make the motion sickness somewhat bearable. Though I would have had a hard time convincing her to board it, maybe I would've dragged her and pushed her in it.

I chuckled a little at the thought. I checked my stuff to make sure it was beside me instead of anywhere else. I had the two swords that Lucy bought and I plan to use it and keep it from breaking. Good thing they're big, I could use them in battle. Soon though my body was washed with drowsiness. I imagined Lucy hugging me and with that I fell asleep.

_(Time-skip to off the train and near the Fairy Tail Guild in Magnolia)_

Fairy Tail. Two words that could change any world. I let a breath of air and pushed the guild doors. I walk inside with tables and chairs beside the pathway to the bar. As I walked in, everyone was whispering and staring at me. I ignored them and walked closer to the bar. All of a sudden a tiny man came out of nowhere. He had a goofy Christmas hat, an orange jacket and white t-shirt with the guild mark, and orange elf shoes. He had white hair and a mustache and pale skin.

"I'm Makorov Dreyar. What's your name child?," the old man asked me. He had warm eyes and smile. Something tells me he is more than he lets on.

"Erza Scarlet, I wish to join this guild. Where's the guild master?"

"Why your looking at him," like that my eyes went wide. He took me upstairs to his office to ask me some questions and to give me the guild mark. I told him about the tower in vague details and about Grandpa Rob. When I mentioned him, the master became very quiet and sad. He must have missed his friend considering he died in the tower protecting me. I also mentioned about Lucy, but as the tower, I kept it vague.

Like that the questions ended and I got my guild mark, it was a dark shade of blue that was on my left arm, just beneath my shoulder. As I walked downstairs, the master announced a party for me, and everyone cheered. They were loud and the drinks and alcohol were there. As I sat down near a table, somewhere in the crowd I saw Lucy, giving me her famous smile and thumbs up. I smile brightly at her, secretly thanking her again for everything.

_(Time-skip eight years)_

Eight years have passed since I've joined Fairy Tail. I have changed and come a long way from the girl I was then. Confidence, strength, and pride ran through my veins to the woman I've grown to become. My hair was down and I wore armor that surrounded my arms and made its way down to my waist. Blue skirt, black boots, and my appearance presented me. I've gotten more curves and other features that make men drop to their knees. My magic also has improved vastly.

I use a special type of magic called the Knight. It allows me to switch armors and weapons in very swift speeds thanks to my training, earning me the name Titania, queen of the fairies. The different kinds of armors I wear enhance my ability further in different areas, and the same can be said about my weapons. I've become an S-class Mage which means I'm clarified to be taking more dangerous missions because of my rank. My nickname is feared through the Kingdom of Fiore. Even though I've become the youngest person in the guild to receive the rank, I still have to prove myself to someone else. Lucy Heartfilia, it's only recently that I've started looking for her.

Amongst my many missions I've taken to find more information about her, I learned more about her, and how her last name belongs to one of the richest people in the kingdom. I know for a fact that she didn't know about this because they said that she was adopted by the couple when she was ten. Last year she apparently ran away from the mansion and no one has seen her since. This got me more skeptical, but made me more determined to find her. Little did I know that fate already answered my wish. Over the years, I've always imagined Lucy beside me and that still hasn't changed today. As look up at the night sky, I see the moon shedding some of its light to the dark world.

"Hey Erza, you know you better find me soon or else I'm winning this as well. You know how good I am at finding things, so don't expect me to go easy on you," the little Lucy spoke to me. She stood beside me with her bright smile, and I smiled back right at her.

"Your right, I don't plan on letting you win, so prepare to taste the defeat I promised you long ago. Wait for me, I'm coming," I smirked devilishly at the girl. She vanished with her own smirk leaving me alone. I directed back my sights on the sky and smiled brightly at it. Wait for me Lucy Heartfilia, I will welcome you to Fairy Tail and make sure your not alone anymore.


	4. Chapter 3-Hargeon

**Narrator's POV **

Hargeon is a fishing a town with a beautiful scenery of not only the deep blue water, but also the town. Though the town is seemed to be a bit out-dated in terms of others, its high lifted spirits never seem to fail. Near the train station, we see a talking blue cat. He has big black eyes, white chest stretching to only his stomach, and a green sack he is carrying. Accompanied by his partner, a teenager with salmon hair who seems to be currently suffering from motion sickness. He is wearing a red jacket, a white scaled scarf, and a pair of black sandals. He adorns a black sleeveless vest with orange outlines, however, his chest is completely open with the exception of the jacket covering up his muscles. Continuing down, the black and orange pattern seems to be covering his baggy white leggings with a black outline beneath it just stay underneath his knee. His green onyx eyes, olive-like skin, and warm face which seems to be displaced with discomfort and nausea.

While in the town, a certain blond walks around. Covered by her black cloak with no hood currently on her head, showed off her beautiful features of her face. Despite growing up, her hazel warm brown eyes, toothy grin, and her personality hasn't changed as much. She wears her loving brown boots that currently settle under her knees whilst wearing tight black leggings. Underneath the cloak, she wears a gray and black coat like shirt. With one covered sleeve on her left, while no sleeve on her right arm. Near her waist is covered by a brown belt with metal button in the middle. Around her right side of her belt, lays a keychain with celestial spirits.

When these strangers meet face to face their lives are permanently altered for the better and worse.

**Happy's POV**

"Ay, c'mon Natsu, we are here in Hargeon to find Igneel, so stop bein' lazy already," I urge Natsu to get up.

"Uh..excuse me sir, but is he all right?" a train conductor asks me with concern.

"Oh him, yeah he is totally fine. Natsu just gets motion sickness," I explain to the train conductor while pointing to Natsu, who seems to be on the floor with his face planted on it. At least half his body isn't out of the train no longer. I don't think he'll ever be able to get rid of his motion sickness.

"Aye I know happy, but give me a break. I'm never riding this death vehicle ever again," groaned the salmon-haired boy.

"Then you know what to expect, so quite moping around, and let's get out of this train and search for Salamander." With that I walked out of the train. I picked out a fish from my sack and started chewing it while I stared at a few buildings. All of a sudden I hear the train moving again, and my gut knew immediately that Natsu probably didn't get off in time. Just as the words passed through my mind, I turned around to see Natsu being dragged by the train while his entire face goes wobbly. He called out to me, but I couldn't do anything physically, so I simply watched it pass me while Natsu's pleads could be heard all the way. I signed knowing it's going to be a longer day then it already is.

**Lucy's POV**

"Would do you mean this town only has one magic shop?" I asked the old man in front of me. I was currently in Hargeon to gather a few supplies and hopefully some magical items before I head of to Magnolia. It's been eight long years since I've seen Erza. Truth be told I never forgot her. She said she would welcome me to the guild with open arms even if she weren't the one helping me join. I don't when this thought came to mind, but it just did one day randomly three months ago. I was already halfway across the kingdom, so I decided to walk instead of going on any transportation. It has been a year since I've ran away. So far no came looking for me which is good, but it also made me realize that Jude never truly cared for me as Layla did. This past year has been very eye-opening in the most dreadful ways possible. It's been six months since I've contacted my spirits, but I can feel their urge get out. I blocked them because I'm still afraid to face them after what happened to me six months ago which also ended me getting a massive scar on my left arm that I like to keep hidden.

"You've heard right young lady, this town only has one magic shop, and your standing it. I made this magic shop for the passing wizards that come around here," he explained and I sighed in disappointment.

"Man, why did I bother coming to this shop if nothing was going to be here. I came here looking for powerful gate keys," which was the reason I bothered to stay in town today, or else I would've walked to Magnolia by now. The shopkeeper says something that I don't pay a lot of attention to as I looked around the shop. It is definitely old, the rustic wooden floor, the sandish wall color, and even the items. There were several other magical items within the shop, starting from staff to potions, and even magic cards. There were also magical potions, but honestly I hate them because of a bad experience. As I took a glance, my eyes fell upon a silver key. On the top of it, it had the symbol of Canvis Minor, a tiny dog spirit. Oh I'm so getting it, I don't care if it isn't powerful. I immediately grabbed the key with its case which just seemed to be a black box with a pink blanket, and showed it to the shopkeeper who seemed have changed the color of his clothes with a magic device.

"I want this key, how much is it?"

"Oh that one. It isn't that powerful, and as for the price, it is 20,000 jewels," he responded with an odd smile on his face. I wasn't in the mood to argue to be frank. I just want the key and out of this shop. I don't bother trying to use my "female charms" to lower the price. Traveling around this whole year surely has made me stronger and somehow more financially stable. I have a lot of jewels on me thanks to all helping I did to the towns and villages and I entered. Though every time I did, I always refused the money, yet somehow they win and I end with it. I give him the money and leave the shop.

As I walk away I take a look at the town, cobblestone pathways, people chatting with each other, wooden carts being pulled, old lively colored buildings, and many more, but the one thing that stands out the most is the water. It truly looks magnificent, peaceful, and utterly lively as well. Tiny surges of water hitting the ports while the birds hover over it, going to their unknown location. These past six months have been very joyous and peaceful. I almost forgot what the world felt like, the freedom and air it descended upon Earth. Ever since that one incident a year ago, I've been living life more than I had before. I suppose it can be held to be a reminder of its in front you and not behind. While walking, I saw a crowd of women below me.

A few girls passed me while giggling the name Salamander. Wait a second, they can't be talking about the Salamander of Fairy Tail. I heard somewhere he uses dragon slayer magic, but I wasn't sure. If he did though however, I'd blast him with a million questions, but one that determined where the hell Celeste might be that is if he got raised or trained by one. I got down from the bridge I was walking on and head towards the crowd. Something just seems off about this whole ordeal, maybe it's my paranoia or something else, but I'll keep an open eye. As I walked a bit closer, but still far enough, I saw a man in the horde of women. Dark blue spiky hair, beige looking skin, and big black eyes. His clothes no less consisted of a dark blue cape with golden trimmings and odd light blue markings, a white shirt with a black middle, red lined pants, and black shoes. He had a strange 'x' looking tattoo on the right side of his forehead. I guess you could say he was attractive, but he seemed ugly nonetheless. His personality says it, the smirk and pride he is taking from all the swooning woman, makes me want to puke my guts out.

This moron however has two interesting things about him, one being what is on his fingers. I can't tell what it exactly other than the fact it is two rings. Two being, he claimed to be Salamander, one of Fairy Tail's wizards. I didn't really think they'd be so prideful in wooing woman, but I'm not one to judge. I also heard a rumor that he might be a dragon slayer, so I kept that fact close to me. It may be true or not, but the fact that people said he is, could be my chance to ask him where the hell the dragons are. I approach the man a bit closer, and suddenly I felt my heart skip a slight beat. Wait a minute, I've read about this in books. Charm rings, a spell that makes the people fall in love with the user, and the only way to break it is if one is aware of it. The minute I realized it was, my heart quickly went back to normal as if nothing occurred.

Well that idiot surely went through a ton of trouble to even find one, considering they were band years ago by the council. This idiot also managed to make me angry, so I get closer to him to give him a beating when all of a sudden a teenager with pink hair and a talking cat appear in the circle. I stare at him for a second before praying my sights back onto the idiot. The pink-haired man kept getting closer and saying Igneel as he did.

"Igneel. Igneel, is that y- Who the heck are you?," the pink retorted out. The idiot flinched at his answer.

"Why I am the famous wizard Salamander who- WAIT! Where are you going?"

"C'mon Happy let's get out-," he was immediately cut off by the horde of women attacking him. I feel bad for the poor man, he didn't do anything wrong, yet here he is getting pounded.

"Now here, have my autograph to compensate for the damage done on your body," the idiot held out a piece of paper with his signature. The pink-haired man refused, once again he was mercilessly beaten by the women. I had enough of this show and was about to attack him when a purple magic circle appeared below him. Purple fire shot out of it and like that he was gone. I walked to the injured teen and his cat.

"Hey want some help, you look like your going to die of hunger?" I asked politely and they looked at me weird before answering.

"We'd love to join ya. I feel like my stomach is gonna eat itself before I eat myself. By the way, my name is Natsu, and my furry fuzzball of a friend is Happy. What's ya name?"

"Lucy, and c'mon I found a small diner where I can treat ya'." With that I turned my back to them, walking in the direction of the diner. They followed right along and said nothing. I was too immersed in my own thoughts to have paid attention to them. Natsu's scarf is what made me very wary. His scarf is so similar to my own with the exception that his is white and mine is black and blue. His appearance is also pretty slack, but he seems to be carrying a bit of load, maybe he traveled here.

By the time I pulled out of my world, we arrived at the diner. It looked like a two-story building with the top probably as a place to live and the bottom as the diner. White-dirtied bricks, your standard long green windows, and orange bricked roof. We pushed the semi-circled, took a seat at one of the booths. The seats were less than comfortable, as well orange striped. I may not have an eye for design, but even I know it looks bad. The floors were wooden, and the walls and ceiling were sandy color. I allowed them to order whatever they wanted as money wasn't a major issue for me because of some of the jobs I was doing.

_(Flashback)_

Jude threw a business party in celebration for his contract to help the Magic Council. I had to dress up for the party, but I just wanted to train. In the end, I was forced to dress up and head down for the party because he threw it at the mansion. I stayed far from the many council members to not bother them and mainly to get spared from Jude's lectures. I quietly sat at one of the tables, far from the people, when two figures approached me. They seem to be a year or two older than me and one of them looked like Jellal. Instantly my mind went to one thought, _Jellal joined the council and since when!?. _However my thoughts were disrupted when the two people started talking.

"Hey aren't you Lucy?" the blue haired boy asked politely. For some reason I knew instantly that he can't be Jellal. His voice holds some sort of difference to him. Maybe, he is the Jellal Erza talked about years ago. Not knowing really annoyed me. I mean they have the same scent. So confusing. Maybe it's for the best I don't let him know my thoughts about him. If he is who I think he is then not only am I in deep trouble, but also Erza and her friends back at the tower.

"Hmm, yeah. If ya don't mind me askin' why you two talkin' to me? I mean you look like prestigious members of the council," I asked nicely even though I felt like I came off sounding more annoyed.

"Well, no one here is our particular age group apart from you, and these old farts don't have an idea what a part is supposed to look like," his comment made me laugh out a bit, but not super loud to draw attention. "My name is Seigrain, and my friend here is Ultear. We recently became high ranking members of the council." He spoke calmly. Ultear seemed to have dark purple hair, pale white skin, and black eyes. Her dress was beautiful, a mixture of red and white. While Seigrain wore a simple white attire.

"Pleasure to meet you two. Congratulations on your positions. Though I gotta ask, isn't it annoying to keep everything in check?"

"Your right 'bout that. One particular guild causes the most destruction. Fairy Tail, pretty sure you've heard of it. They may be so troublesome to handle, but without them this world would seem so dull."

"Definitely, it is my dream to join them soon. They've always been so lively, and their guild stands for family something I wish to find myself one day. Don't get me wrong living with my foster father as his perks, but his work keeps him from interacting with me."

"I completely understand what you mean. My mother ignored me when I was young and then she died. I never got to know her, but my hatred for her grew," Ultear spoke with sadness and anger in her voice. I know the feeling all too well. Layla always loved Jude, but after her death, he changed. I don't think I could ever look at him the same. I tried best with him, but sometimes he is too much to handle.

"Yeah, I know the feeling all too well. I want to travel the world again and maybe go on a few jobs. I'm a mage myself and honestly, I'm just looking for some excitement. I've been stuck in this mansion, training and learning so much that it's practically second nature. I miss the feeling of traveling and making new friends," I remarked with remorse and hopefulness in my voice.

"How about we give you jobs from the council in exchange you become our friend?," Seigrain asked.

"Are you for reals?!"

"Yes, the council has been looking for someone to be doing not too difficult jobs. We have too many mages doing the dangerous ones, and the ones we try to find other jobs, they end up taking the dangerous ones."

"Well I accept the deal. Wait, does that mean I get paid?"

"Certainly as well as some other perks. Such as a bit of diplomacy immunity and many others. How about we go another high ranking council members to sign the deal?," and like that my long awaited adventures started up again. Jude agreed to it simply because the council was behind it, and I really couldn't be any happier despite his reasonings.

_(End of Flashback)_

I went on missions often, that I spent the last two years doing it. I also became best friends with Seigrain and Ultear. They even defended me when the missions went rather chaotic and I ended up with a destroyed place. I was more than grateful for their kindness. They always cared for me as if I were their little sister. They became even more protective from the past six months because of an incident that transpired and I went off-grid for six months. They were glad that I was alive as was I, they also helped with the event to be taken care off.

Speaking of those two, I'm supposed to meet up with them soon to discuss my last mission that happened in the town before I came to Hargeon. I was pulled out of my thoughts when splatters of food hit my face. Natsu and Happy looked like devils as they ate. I know my eating habits are odd, but they don't even compare to these two. I guess I was right to think they were starving. The silence that was between us apart from the food was rather displeasing to my liking, so to fix it, I started up a conversation.

"That Salamander guy was a charm spell to hypnotize those ladies you saw and got attacked by. That idiot must have gone through heaven and earth to find one though considering they've been banned for years. I wasn't really caught by his spell considering the weirdness and the fact that I've felt and heard about this before. Gotta thank ya for letting him get away, if he stayed any longer, that entire part of town probably would've gone up in ashes and flames by me," I rambled on trying anything to get him to respond.

"Wait your a wizard Lucy?," the cat asked. Hold up, this cat can talk. Just what- ah forget it. I've came across weirder stuff than this in my lifetime. Best to let it slide.

"Technically yes, but you aren't really considered one until you join a magic guild. A magic guild is where mages go to find work and share information as such. There are several around the world, however, I got my sights set on one. An old friend offered me to join with her years ago, but I refused because I had to find someone. Even though it's been years, she told me I'll always be welcomed to join, so I'm not worried about it. Speaking of finding someone, you guys came here to find someone right?"

"Yeah, we came here looking for Igneel."

"Sadly, that guy didn't look like him. We came here hearing that Salamander was in town, and we came to meet him. Turns out to be the wrong guy. I bet he doesn't breathe fire like a real dragon," Natsu commented and Happy agreed as well. Wait a minute he said he came here looking for dragons. Maybe that means his dragon friend also disappeared like Celeste. I just met this guy, I can't give out too much information about myself or the dragons. His scarf though, looks like dragon scales, but I could easily be wrong. Also these two are major idiots. What kind of dragon shows up in the middle of town like that.

"Why in the world would a dragon just show up in town?!," I yelled out rather annoyed by these two's lack of awareness. They were about to speak, but it looks like they got idea. "Look don't sweat too much thinking about it," I got up and placed the money on the table. "Maybe I'll see ya' two around."

I was about to walk out as the waiter wished me goodbye, but immediately froze. I turned around to see what happened when I saw those two bowing and thanking me. I yelled at them to stop embarrassing me in front of the other customers. I spoke softly to them to not really need the idea of thanking them as I owe them for helping me back there. Their stupidity doesn't seem to end, as Natsu handed me an autograph of that Salamander dude. At this point my blood was boiling and practically had enough of it. I yelled at them one last time and left the restaurant without much thought.

_**(Time-skip two hours) **_

I found myself in the park with a new edition of Sorcerer Weekly Magazine. As I flipped through the pages, Fairy Tail was on the covers. Looks like they took out a rogue band of wizards, but ended up destroying seven houses in the process. Classic honestly, they are the only ones who could handle my recklessness. As I flipped more, I found Mirajane posing in her bikini outfits for the magazines. It gets me wondering though, she is also one of the wizards at the guild, but how do you actually get in. Erza may have said I was always welcomed, but do you need to do something to get in. Little did I realize that I spoke my thoughts out loud. In a split second, a familiar smell entered my nose and I immediately got up from the park bench. And like that, Salamander appeared before me.

"Ah I see I was right to presume you were a wizard when I laid my eyes on you," he spoke in a very prideful manner as if he felt like he won something.

"Okay I am one, but that doesn't help my curiosity. Why are ya here?"

"I personally came here to invite you to a party I'm hosting on my boat," and like that my whole body went green, but I don't show him to that.

"Sorry, but I don't wanna be caught dead in a party by the likes of a creep like you," he quickly paled at my remark.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you wished to join the Fairy Tail Guild. As one of its members, I could get you in," this got me thinking. Maybe I could use him to get into Fairy Tail. I'll do it even if I have to get on a boat...

"Alright you got yourself a deal, so when is it?"

"7:00pm tonight. I'll see you then my beloved," he snapped his fingers and a fire magic circle appeared beneath him. Like last time, he whisked away with his purple fire to heavens know where. Well this might be a fluke or the real deal. Might as well do it, and if it is a fluke, I'll fight myself out of it.

**Happy's POV**

It's been four hours since we met up with Lucy. I'm glad she was nice enough to feed us. Natsu probably would have died if he didn't eat there and then. Ever since then though Natsu has been acting weird. He said to me that she probably is a dragon slayer. At first I was shocked by his words, but then he explained his reasoning. The scarf Lucy had one was the exact one Natsu had except for the color change.

Now we are standing on top of a bridge. The night sky sure does look pretty. Over in the distance I see a party boat setting sail somewhere. It was huge like a cruise ship. That looks like the ship that fake Salamander mentioned he was going to have a party on. Honestly I think Natsu is waiting for Lucy to show. I don't why he expects it since we had no plans for her to show up.

I mentioned the ship to Natsu and he turned green lightning fast just from the idea. We hear a couple of girls talk about Salamander and how he is a Fairy Tail wizard. Natsu's face hardened fast from the mention. He turned his sights back on the ship, and turned green again. I sighed, his practically helpless against transportation.

He slapped his face hard, turning normal, then he turned to me. He told him to fly him near the ship. He probably wants answers for the guy being in Fairy Tail. I don't blame him. I've never seen him before in Fairy Tail, and here is destroying our guild's name.

I agreed, having my wings come out back, and picked him up. We fly fast towards the ship. By the time we got there, we noticed that the deck was nearly empty except for a couple of guys. They looked like thugs with their ragged clothes and scowling faces. Natsu told him to drop him at top. I dropped him off the high point and he crashed into the boat. It made a big enough hole to see everything. I noticed Lucy being held by the goons and looking completely green as Natsu as his motion sickness kicked in.

"Oi Lucy, what are you doin' there?," I hollered at her. The goons seemed to have dropped her by the sudden action of Natsu plummeting in from the ceiling. Now Lucy looked even greener then before. If she truly is a dragon slayer then it would explain a lot of things.

I also noticed she didn't bother to dress up at all for being here. She probably came here to party or something, but seriously, she didn't care to dress. Oh well it's not like I command her, and she must have her reasons for it.

She looked up at me a bit better but still green and called out, "Happy.. help me off this damn ship... this guy tricked me into thinking I was getting.. into Fairy Tail.. help please.." I obeyed at her command. I used my tail to grab her around her waist and hoisted her up. Instantly she started feeling better.

After I started flying with her, she questioned why I left Natsu behind. I simply told her I couldn't carry two people. All of sudden I notice purple flames coming at us. They followed me everywhere until we made a certain loop that made the purple flames come in contact with each other making a firework.

They finally left us alone, but then I realized I was running out of magic. I tried to tell Lucy, but halfway through it we dove head first into water. I hit my head badly and my wings disappeared. I swam up quickly to the surface with Lucy. I noticed she pulled out a golden key from beneath her cloak.

"Open Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius," she chanted out with the key put in water. A golden light flashed, blinding my vision. As soon as I could see again, I noticed a lady.

She had long glue hair, creamy pale skin, blue eyes, golden bracelets around her wrists and below her shoulders practically stopping at her triceps. She had a navy blue colored bra on with white outlines and writings, a thin gold casing around her head that was just around her ears, but not covering her hair. The forehead part of it was silver with the middle of it having a small gold jewel fall down to her eyebrows. She had a black cloth around her neck and just beneath it a weird w like writing. She wore no clothing other than that bra. Her tail was the same color as her hair, with scales and gold markings on the side. Her waist and the end of her tail had a light blue color to it, and at her waist was a golden looking sash that stuck there.

"Lucy you a Celestial Wizard?," I asked curiously. There aren't many celestial wizards as there were long ago.

"Ah partly, it's my second magic. This here is Aquarius. She is a Water spirit and a Zodiac Key. Zodiac keys are stronger and rarer than Silver Keys, and there is only 12 Zodiac Keys," Lucy paused for a moment before facing Aquarius. "Listen up Aquarius, I want you to dock that ship on shore."

"I'll do it, but soon we need to talk about what happened six months ago," Aquarius spoke in a monotone voice. Lucy shuddered immediately at what she said. What happened six months ago? I'll ask about it later when Lucy joins the guild.

"Okay..now do your thing."

"One thing before I do, NEVER DROP MY KEY OR YOU WILL REGRET IT!," Aquarius yelled at us. We paled and got scared fast. I may devouring fish, but I'd rather not eat this one if I want to escape with my life. She turned away from us and had an urn. It had a light gray and white pattern running it. She used the urn to summon water, practically caused a tsunami to form. Not only did she blow the ship, but also Lucy and I. Never am I ever going to make Aquarius angry ever. We practically settled upon the shore, though I had my head stuck in the sand.

"What's the big deal? Were you trying to aim and blow me away too!," I heard Lucy shout.

"My bad, but that's for what happened months ago. You've had it coming. Now you better talk to me soon, or I will feed you to the fish without looking back once," Aquarius responded back. I finally got my head out of the sand to face Lucy. Aquarius disappeared by then, leaving me with Lucy. She started to get back up and looked at the moon then she smiled devilishly. She opened her mouth and started eating the moon's energy. _WHAT! Natsu was right, she is a dragon slayer._ The ship crashed beside us and some of the goons and the fake Salamander got out. Lucy turned to them and arched her head and back. If I'm right then I have a feeling I already know what move she is pulling off.

"Celestial Dragon's Roar!," she chanted out. Out came a burst of yellow star energy that decimated the sand and hit the goons. All except the fake Salamander got taken down fast. She left behind a ray of destruction just with one roar. She is as powerful as Natsu. She turned to me and put her arms out. I jumped onto her arms and sat on her shoulder as she got close to the Salamander.

"Lucy, your a dragon slayer aren't ya'?," I asked casually.

She responded back, "Yeah, but how come yer' not surprised by it. Or the fact you know about dragon slaying magic. It's an ancient magic that's been lost for centuries. The only way you learn it is if a dragon teaches you. How come you know about?"

"Simple. Natsu is also a dragon slayer. He is a Fire Dragon Slayer, so he eats fire instead of your element. His dragon, Igneel, disappeared on July 7th in the year x777. Did your dragon also disappear then too?"

"Yeah that's the exact date. My dragon's name was Celeste. I've been looking for her for years, but I never found her. It's good to know that there are other dragon slayers out there." She sounded hopeful at her words. We neared the ship and saw Natsu climb to the top. He wasn't even remotely surprised by Lucy's destruction. The fake Salamander was still gliding in the air with his flames when he noticed Natsu.

"You said your a member of Fairy Tail, yet I've never seen you before in my life!," Natsu yelled out as he took his jacket off. "I'm a member of Fairy Tail. My name is Natsu Dragneel." Lucy was beyond shocked at hearing this. And looked at us pretty weirdly to. I just laughed at her reaction and munched on my fish. One of the guys called him Bora, and I knew that name immediately. Lucy looked confused when she noticed my face. I explained to her that his name is Bora the Prominence, and he was in the Titan Nose Guild before he got kicked for bad behavior. Honestly, I'd love to see this guy burned to ashes by Natsu's flames. I was right to say he was furious at Bora for dirtying our guild's name. He's about to get the beatdown of his life.

Bora threw his flames at him and Natsu went quiet fast. Lucy had a pretty devilish expression on her face because she knew that Bora was screwed now. When you feed the element of that dragon slayer, it replenishes their magic, and kind of boosts them. Bora started walking away when Natsu called him out for his flames. He ate up all the fire Bora sent him and got into a battle stance. Bora was bewildered at Natsu's actions. One of the guys on the ground who got knocked earlier from Lucy's attack finally spoke out. Natsu is the real Salamander of Fairy Tail.

Natsu charged at Bora with both hands covered in flames. He climbed Bora's flames and punched him far back over three buildings. Bora got up again and sent him more of his fire which he turned into a beam sending half the city in flames. Natsu kept dodging and eating his attacks as if it were nothing. I knew he was fired up from all this fighting, and I think he is about to end this entire fight in seconds. I was right. He fired up his right hand and charged at Bora in extreme speeds which it impossible to dodge. Natsu knocked him over to the bell tower and the bell actually rang. Like Lucy's attack, he left behind a pile of flames in his wake. Lucy was actually laughing at the destruction and saying that they both have no idea when to hold back.

The Rune Knights from the Magic Council showed up. That was our queue to leave before we caught for the destruction we caused. Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand and ran. He gave her one of his greatest smiles and told her that we would take her to Fairy Tail. I have a feeling that this would be a start of a new adventure. Not only do we have another dragon slayer in the mix, but maybe a team. Natsu and Lucy will work well together, even though they both are very different at the same time. And like that we evaded the knights and ran over to the hotel Lucy had her stuff. She grabbed it and followed us out. We walked to a specific part of the town to head to Magnolia.

**(Time-skip three days at Era) Narrator's POV **

Somewhere in the distance lies Era, a place where the Magic Council lies forth. A marvelous old century castle contains the members. Here the council decides everything that occurs in the magic world, and decides how to take care of it. Inside the enormous castle, a meeting between the nine high ranking members holds place. A giant blue magic circle holds them up. Judging from their expressions, most of them are displeased with the destruction of a certain port while two members seem amused.

"Those Fairy Tail fools have done it again!," one of the members spoke, angry with the destruction.

"Agreed, they have no sense of restraint. Worst of all, Lucy has joined them," another member spoke.

"I don't see the problem with this. She has been meaning to join for a few years now. It is an inevitable situation. Just be hopeful she would continue to work for us even under Fairy Tail. Besides, without those fools this world would be so boring," a man with blue hair and a red tattoo spoke.

"I would have to agree with Seigrain here. Now with Lucy in the mix, we might have more problems, but that shouldn't stop the fact that her or Fairy Tail are a bunch of remarkable of wizards capable of instilling good upon this world," a woman with dark purple hair spoke. Several other members muttered words under their breath, annoyed beyond heaven at the damage and reputation. Though they have agreed that the guild and Lucy are reliant wizards to trust. They just hope they do more good than destroy half the continent with their powers...

**Lucy's POV **

We decided to walk to Magnolia instead of using the train. I'm just glad and Natsu seems so too. It took us a day to get there and the walk for the most part was quiet. I didn't mind on bit. I enjoyed the tranquility of the world. The world sings such a beautiful melody it's almost hard to believe there is such peace in this. Life truly leads one to unknown locations without much hesitation, yet it is the user's decisions that make a chapter of a book continue. There is a mere satisfaction into learning about what occurs in the future, but time itself is very unfaithful. Thus, we make the best of what time we have left and make it a legend one worth telling.

Magnolia is truly a magnificent city. The people are so lively it's hard to believe they aren't children. Shops, business, buildings, and wizards. There is Cardia Cathedral, a very famous church across this part of the continent, but the one truly remarkable path lies forth in this lively city. Fairy Tail, a guild that was built on the fundamentals of love and friendship that transcends time itself. I have heard and read mere stories of this place, but seeing something is very different from experiencing it yourself. That is what I have told myself since I was very young. From meeting Celeste to making a lifelong friend, I can't help but wonder if Celeste somehow planned all of this. Even though I can't see her, every time I look at the starry night sky, I imagine her looking down at me with a smile and a smirk. She was certainly one crazy dragon, but a caring one as well. Life of the party to a practical mother, she was my life and I plan to live out her words and find her one day.

We stopped at the front of the guild. It looked to be an old century Japanese style building. Dark green pillars, orange heart-shaped windows, sandy colored walls. At the front, a purple Fairy Tail sign letters surrounded by a gold fairies from the top sides. The roofs were bricks, and there were three layers. First layer consisted of a big orange door and windows. The second layer simply had green windows with nothing else. Whilst the last layer had three banners, left in blue with a marking, right in green, and in the middle is an orange banner with a white Fairy Tail guild mark. The highest part of the building contained a golden semi-circle that covered the entire top.

This is it. The beginning of a new adventure. One set forth with several hardships and tears, but in the midst of it all, is a love and growing friendship brewing. I was at a mere shock from looking at the guild. Natsu decided to start with a bang, and kicked down the door, yelling out we came.

A member called out to him and Natsu started yelling again. I don't exactly know what happened, but the next thing I knew they were fighting. Several other members were thrown or joined in on the fight. A second ago the guild was filled with people in chairs interacting with another, and now a full on battle waged. I was needless to say shocked, but that wore off quickly.

So this the famed guild you were talking about. My, what have I gotten myself into. I hope you were right about this Erza Scarlet or else I'll personally go find you and give you a smack down. I was snapped out of thoughts when a raven haired man with nothing but his underwear on called Natsu out. Then he proceeded to join in on the rumble before being called out by a woman for his clothes. The woman had tanned skin, brown hair, blue eyes, and had on a bra, pants on heels. She muttered something then drank alcohol from a barrel. This woman is unreal and another whole other level. What the hell is her alcohol tolerance. Once again I'm left shocked at the guild's antics. A tall guy with silver spiky hair, tanned muscled, and dark clothing just showed up behind me. He said something about a man, but I wasn't fully paying attention. He got knocked out quick by the naked man and Natsu, surprising considering his built.

"Hello, are you new here?," an angelic voice spoke. I turned around to see a woman with silver hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and a red dress speaking to me. She also seems to be holding a tray with drinks while looking calm which kind of surprised me. Then it snapped, this woman any normal person, nope. Meet Mirajane Strauss. I've seen her pose for Sorcerer Weekly quite often to a point I know her style. I smiled at her before questioning the mentality of the guild. As rowdy as I am, some sanity would do some good.

"Shouldn't we you know, stop 'em?," I asked hopeful she would end the meaningless fight. It's taking all I have within me to not walk over there and beat the hell out of these idiots. I would rather have my first impression to be as normal as possible if normal is in my vocabulary.

"Not really. I just leave them be. Besides-" she gets cut off pretty fast when a guy tumbled into her. She got knocked out fast and I'm pretty sure I saw something living her body. I rushed over trying not to let her die when I got that naked man from before tackling me. I see Natsu holding his underwear and I turn red as a tomato. The naked walks over asking me for my underwear to which my response was a fist to his face. Then I get picked up by a guy in orange hair, pale skin, and normal clothing. Judging from his looks, he is definitely a player. He gets punched back, dropping me instantly, by the muscled guy from earlier. He then gets kicked back my Natsu. This place is getting more restless by the second. I walk over to Mirajane, making sure she lives. Then I feel magic. I turn my head to see the drinking lady ready with her card, naked man in a fighting stance with his magic, player boy ready with his ring, muscled man already turned his right arm into a stoned arm, and Natsu lighting his fists. At the rate they're going at, they might as well destroy the guild.

A massive foot was slammed into the ground. I notice a giant yelling, and everyone just halted. It's as if time stopped at this instance. Mirajane came by my side and said master. Hold up a second, this giant is the guild's master. Now I'm flipping out majorly. That flamebrain of a Natsu called out victory into this whole fight while laughing only to be crushed by the giant. The giant noticed me then transformed into a small old man who greeted me hello. I've heard of this man before, it makes sense now. He is Master Makarov, I've heard of him before simply due to the council's tater tantrum about them. I greeted him hello myself while flashing a smile. He backflipped onto the second floor not without hitting one of the stands. That's when I truly noticed the guild hall.

It's not much different from the outside apart from a few things. There are four massive pillars with dark green bottoms and the top was sandy like the wallpapers of the guild. The floor was wooden as well as the stairs leading to the second floor. Broken furniture laid everywhere when once mere minutes ago were normal chairs and table. There were plants lying around, but they were on the floor or broken. At the far end of the guild hall, a massive bar was located, stretching across that whole section. Above it, the second floor and where Makarov is standing with a pile of papers.

"You've done it again ya brats," he spoke while showing the paper. "Just look at the paperwork the council sent me," he paused before continuing, "I mean you do gooders are nothing good other than just getting the higher ups cutting down my throat." Everyone's mood just plummeted fast. Maybe I could ask the Magic Council to maybe overlook some of it considering they owed me a bit. "However, I say heck with the council." He lit up the papers then tossed them to Natsu who ate it. "Listen up carefully, any power that surpasses reason comes from reason, right? Magic isn't some miraculous power, it is a talent that only works when the natural flow energy within us and the natural flow of the world work together. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul. If we only worry about following rules, our magic will never progress. Forget listening to the rule makers and follow the path you believe in. That's what makes Fairy Tail the number one guild!" He pointed him his index finger up making an 'L' shape with following suit in happy cheers. I had a massive smile on my face. I could finally stop this empty feeling within me and replace with something livelier. I only have one person to thank for that.

_Thank you Erza Scarlet.._

**(Time-skip 20 minutes later)**

The guild finally turned back to normal with everything fixed or replaced. I got my mark stamped on me. It was a scarlet guild mark that was on my right hand. I looked at it with excitedly before turning to Natsu, who was at the request board.

"Hey Natsu, look I got my guild mark," my cheery voice exploded into my throat.

"That's great Looney. Welcome to the guild," Natsu spoke bored with this entire conversation without batting an eye at me.

"Name's LUCY!" Not bothered to continue, I headed back to the bar where Mirajane was cleaning up some glasses.

"Hey Mirajane, could you get me some water," I asked politely.

"Right up, but call me Mira. That's what everyone calls me." With that she got the back. She returned a minute later with my water. I thanked her quickly before gulping down the water. "Say Lucy, what's your magic?" I choked on my water, coughing bit before answering. This is going to lead into a ton of questions, but I'm willing to answer most of them apart from a few.

"I use Celestial Dragon Slaying Magic as well as Celestial Magic. Though the dragon slaying magic is my main." Everyone stopped whatever they were doing before looking at me with wide eyes even Mira. I don't blame them, there aren't many who use the magic or have been trained by dragons. Natsu practically tackled me to the floor before choking me with his questions. I couldn't answer most of them and apologized

"Well that's a bummer, but what was your dragon's name?," Natsu asked finally getting off me and lent me a hand.

"Her name was Celeste. As you can guess, she was a Celestial Dragon. However, she said she was the queen of them or somewhere along those lines. The last time I saw her was July 7th in the year x777. Ever since then I've traveled all over looking for her. Like you, I had no luck."

"That doesn't matter anymore. We will look for our dragons together from now on ya hear that? Not just us, but the whole guild." The whole guild cheered at his statement. I smiled warmly at the flamebrain. I've been looking for Wendy's dragon as well, but I doubt she has had any luck. I think I'll meet up with her soon. It has been a few years, it'll do me good meeting with my little sister again. The guild went back to whatever they were doing and I sat down at the bar again. After a few moments, I heard an argument between a small boy and master.

"Have you heard from my dad yet?," the small boy asked the master in a pleading voice. He reminds me of myself when I was younger still looking for Celeste.

"Your starting to rattle my nerves Romeo. Your dad's a wizard, so have faith in him. I'm sure he'll get back soon," the master replied while drinking and sitting lazily on the counter.

"But he said that he'd be back in three days. Its been over a week!"

"If memory serves me right then he took the job on Mount Hakobe."

"That's right, so why won't anyone go look for him!," Romeo pleaded as his voice got louder and louder. I already know where I'm going no point in wasting any more time. I refuse to let Romeo go through the same pain as Natsu and I when we were younger.

"Listen kid, your a wizard's son! Like everyone here, your dad is a capable of wizard who is more than able to handle himself. Go home, be a good kid and eat some cookies." Romeo clenched his fists and punched master in the face before running of crying. I put my hood on and walked towards the door. I may be mad with what master said, but I refuse to show it to him. Rather, I'll try to downplay it in an attempt to search for Romeo's dad. I heard several comments behind me, and a crash of wood being destroyed. I presumed it to be Natsu who might be following me. I let him do that thought I doubt I talk as much. If he knew better, he won't either.

I walked out the guild and headed towards some carriages asking them for a ride to Mt. Hakobe. The place itself isn't very far from here, so I'm pretty sure they wouldn't deny. They agreed and I paid the money for Natsu and I. We boarded the carriage and got motion sickness fast when it started moving. Both of us were slouched over on both of our ends and I noticed Happy tagged along.

After a while of silence, Happy broke it by attempting to question my reasoning for going there. "So Lucy, why are going after Romeo's dad, Macao?," Happy asked.

"I...refuse..to...let..Romeo..go through the same thing...Natsu..and I went through." I barely got the words thanks to the moving vehicle. Happy nodded before going silent again. The entire time was silence since then apart from the motion sickness noises Natsu and I were making. It took a few more hours to get there, all while we suffered the effects. I swear couldn't they had made transportation that didn't involve us getting sick. Natsu may have said that he may never set foot on one of them again, but even I know that simply is unavoidable. Might as well suffer until we get to the stupid mountain.

We finally made it. Granted the driver couldn't take us any further, but we weren't complaining. We opened the cart door, only to be met by the howling winds of snow. Odd, it's summer in Magnolia and here we are in the snow. Some predicament we have gotten ourselves into. Neither of us felt cold probably due to our magic. We started walking at the side of the mountain since that's where the driver dropped us. That's when I realized that I had no clue what kind of job Macao took to even land him in a place like this.

"Hey Natsu, what kind of job did Macao take?," I asked sternly. Even though I have calmed down, I suppose you could say that I wasn't in the mood for any screwups.

"Your tellin' me you decided to come here without a clue about the mission?," Natsu asked slightly angry. I don't blame him, but I am glad he is taking the situation as serious as I am.

"Practically. Now stop getting angry and spill. The faster we find Macao, the faster he gets back to Romeo."

"He took the job of taking out vulcans that wandered around here. I'm surprised you jumped on the bandwagon to save Macao. Why bother coming?" He sighed before walking ahead. I stayed quiet not bothering to speak any further. I stayed behind a bit to enjoy the sounds of nature and take a different from looking Macao. Over in the distance I heard him calling out for Macao, but I don't see the point in doing so. How the hell does he expect Macao to respond in this blizzard. I'm just glad I heard him with my dragon senses. Then I heard the crash of snow. At first I was confused to what the hell it was, and now I'm being carried by this Vulcan to god knows where. I let him carry me, maybe he could lead me to a place where he is hiding Macao. I heard the boys in the distance, but I think they'll be crashing the party a bit late.

The giant ape carried me to a cave filled with ice and rocks. I would say it is beautiful, but right now I have this ape to deal with. These Vulcans are similar to Forest Vulcans. However, these Snow Vulcans take a white and darker gray and black version of the Forest Vulcan. Plus, this ape seemed to have gained an interest in me. He carried me a tad bit further into the cave before setting me down on the icy floor. I sighed. What kind of situation did I land myself in this time around. I notice the ape going around in circles near to me while doing a victory dance or something. He suddenly came near to my face slowly with a creepy look. I was about to smack him away when Natsu rampaged in. He ran to the Vulcan, but slipped on the ice and fell on his back. He spun on his back until he hit a wall still upside while he called out the Vulcan. I rose up and rushed to his side. He got up and started to interrogate the animal.

The Vulcan thought for a moment before pointing in a specific. Natsu being the idiot he is, followed him over to a small hole in the cave, but not too small for someone to get crushed by it. Natsu called out for Macao once again through the hole only to be kicked my the Vulcan. I dashed to the spot Natsu was in, to make sure he was alive. He plummeted down from the mountain, but I didn't worry too much. Happy is still around to catch him from falling.

I turn my face towards the Vulcan who had his back behind me. He was making weird noises, but I was already fed up. I honestly despise these beasts since I saw how scared Erza was of one. These animals love to just scare people with their overwhelming size and strength.

"Listen up ya' perverted ape. Tell me where the hell Macao is and I might now bruise you too much." I clenched my fists getting ready to fight. The Vulcan turned around unamused by my comment and continued to do whatever it was doing before. I dashed towards him with my right fist holding out. My fist made contact with his back, sending him tumbling forwards. He hit a wall, but quickly recovered facing me with anger. He used his fists to shake the ground while making a tiny shockwave, sending ice towards me. I jumped back to get on stable ground, getting ready to charge at him again. He neared me and I almost punched him, but was thrown to the side my Natsu's fists.

"The ape's mine." Natsu spoke with determined eyes and voice. I let him have it. He has been a member of this guild longer, thus I guess it gives him the right to save his friend. It would be pretty weird to find Macao and practically tell him I'll be saving as a new member who joined a few hours with no prior information about you folks. Imagine the head rolling out of his body.

"Fine. There is no point in arguing with you. Just hurry up and beat him fast before I do it myself," I said slightly bored already. He gave me a toothy grin. He ran up further towards the Vulcan, ready to beat him. He was slightly thrown off guard when the Vulcan appeared above him punching his fist down at Natsu, but only to be met with a block. The ape noticed he was simply a bit stuck, so he used his remaining fist to punch Natsu in the face. Flamebrain blocked it with both arms near his face, shielding him from the attack.

"Listen up ya fat ape. Everyone at Fairy Tail is my family. Mira, Elfman, Loki, and Cana," he paused for a moment. He used his magic to light up his feet. "Even Happy and Lucy." He finished the sentence and kicked the ape in the chest with the fired leg. The flames grew a bit up sending the animal to the ceiling before landing a few feet away, perfectly normal. A few shards of ice from the ceiling and the ape clapped his hands together. He used the strength of his arms, generating enough wind to send shards of ice and anything beneath towards Natsu and I. I merely dodged it by moving to the side while Natsu took it head on. I noticed Natsu was getting pretty tired of this fight and simply wanted answers to where his friend was.

He dashed at the ape again, punching it straight in the face. Leaving the animal dazed long enough to receive another blow. Natsu punched both of his fists together, lighting them swiftly before chanting out, "FIRE DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" He punched the ape in the chest hard enough to sent him flying backwards to the wall. A loud crash echoed throughout the ice crystal cave. Matter of moments later, the smoke of the debris left my Natsu, cleared leaving a heavily injured Vulcan upside down on his head surrounded by debris. Natsu must have punched him in a certain way to have made him land like that. I suddenly remembered what Natsu said to the Vulcan, a warm feeling erupted through my body. I can already feel the coldness within me melting away ever so slowly.

"Um Natsu, not to be rude or anything, but ya overdid it. Not only that, but you knocked the only thing that could've helped us find Macao," I said loudly and annoyed. What can you expect then again I do the same. Oh well.

"I guess I did. My-" Natsu was cut off by a glowing light that came from the Vulcan. After the glow subsided, Natsu yelled in surprise, "MACAO!"

"Your tellin' me the Vulcan we fought just now was your friend?"

"Aye. It all makes sense now. Vulcans survive by stealing people's bodies and minds. Macao must've got caught by them to have turned into one of them," Happy explained. Suddenly it all fell into place except for a few, but that's for later. We all pitched in to help Macao from the rubble. Happy was carrying some of Natsu's stuff which included a green bag and a blanket. I took the blanket out and laid it on the floor while Natsu placed Macao on it. Happy took out some bandages from the bag. I took them and started patching Macao up. I was done fairly quick as all the major wounds seemed present. We waited about ten minutes before we noticed Macao stirring up.

"Macao, bout' time ya' woke up," Natsu said cheerfully.

"Nat..su," Macao replied back slightly groggy from his current state of health.

"Yep. Now c'mon let's go home. Romeo is waitin' for ya."

"How can I face him again? I managed to take down 19 of those buffoons before I let the last one take me over."

"That doesn't matter now. All that does is that your alive and you managed to take down that many."

"I guess you're right Natsu. Thanks." Fairy Tail is truly a powerful guild. Macao took down 19 of them which is an impressive feat on its own. Nothing to be ashamed of at all. Natsu is as powerful as me, so I hope one day we brawl it out to find out whose better. We helped Macao up and headed out of the cave. We walked a few hours out of the winter biome and into the warmth of normal land. We found a carriage and managed to take us back to Magnolia. During the ride, Macao explained he took the job was for Romeo. A few kids have been taunting Romeo about his dad being an awful wizard. Macao took the mission to prove to Romeo's bullies wrong. I don't see a reason for the bullying, but I suppose in the end, Romeo is happy.

The sun was beginning to set across the horizon as we arrived in the city. We walked down the pathway to Macao's house to find Romeo sitting sadly on the steps. We hollered out to him, to see him expression become overjoyed with the return of his father. This makes me hopeful that one day I will meet Celeste again. We waved them goodbye and headed for the guild. Only then did I realize I didn't have anywhere to stay. As we neared the guild, we noticed Mira and a few others out the door greeting us back. I'm pretty sure Mira realized my situation because she asked about it.

"So Lucy, I don't think you have a place to live right?," Mira asked in her usual angelic voice.

"Bet that right. Know any?," I asked hopefully.

"Yep. There is a dormitory for the women of Fairy Tail called Fairy Hills. Just a few blocks out and on a hill from here. If you want, I can show it to you and help you move in. Also the rent is 100,000 jewels a month depending on how many rooms you rent."

"Fine by me. Let's go right now. My whole body is crying out." With that, my day ended. Not only have I joined Fairy Tail, but I found my family. Damn it why did Erza have to be right. I swear she is going to hold this against me until my death. I could live with that knowing the benefits I'm getting. Now that I have come, you better show soon Erza. Better not keep me waiting. I fell asleep fast staring up at the moon.

**I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL OR ITS PLOT OR CHARACTERS EXCEPT FOR THE ONES I MAKE. ALL RIGHTS ARE GIVEN TO HIRO MASHIMA**


	5. Chapter 4- Eisenwald

Lucy's POV

Today has certainly been an interesting day. Scratch that, the past two days have been. Natsu, Happy, and I are heading back to the guild from completing our first mission.

It started yesterday morning. I just moved into Fairy Hills and let me say it is heaven. The rooms are fairly big which is perfect for putting in more stuff. There is also a rule that implies that men from the guild aren't allowed to enter. Bonus for privacy, but my hopes were washed away down the drain. Natsu and Happy showed up and practically made themselves at home. It's as if they didn't care about rules at all. Honestly such bothersome idiots. They came in with a job that paid 200,000 jewels which is pretty decent one.

The mission was to destroy a book for our client. We had to first retrieve it from a rich idiot named Duke Everlue in Shirotsume Town. The boys tricked me into the job as apparently the rich moron was looking for blonds as maids. Our client's name was Kaby Melon. At first his name seemed suspicious because I felt like I heard it somewhere, but it didn't hit me until later. The book we were supposed to destroy was named _Daybreak. _When we got to the client's place, he apparently raised the reward to two million. This made me even more suspicious.

We snuck into Everlue's mansion for the book. When we found it, I was startled. The book was created by Kemu Zaleon, a famous author who passed away a while back. I read all his books when I was younger. Then some of the pieces fell into place. Kaby was Kemu's son, but why destroy the book. It wasn't until I read the book to find out the truth. Kemu was held captive for three years and forced to write the book for Everlue. This made my blood boil on dangerous levels. I convinced Natsu not to destroy the book, but to show Kaby. The book had a spell cast on it which forbade the rich bastard from reading the true meaning. We took out Everlue and headed back to Kaby. I told him the true meaning of the book. It was Kemu's last words to Kaby. He told us why he wanted it gone. The book caused turmoil in his family and in the end Kemu chopped his hand off to stop writing. In the end, he didn't destroy the book and in turn thanked us. We didn't get the reward money because one, we technically didn't finish the intended mission. And two, Kaby was broke.

Which leads us to now. We are taking a shortcut through the woods to get back to guild. As much as I love nature, I hate muds. I'm glad we walked out that fast and now we are now on a normal path. As we walked, I familiar scent entered my nose, but I couldn't pin it. Then the bushes made some sound which prompted Natsu to jump into it. Out came out Gray in his underwear with Natsu.

"Gray what are you doing in the woods naked?" I asked skeptical.

"Trying to find a bathroom," Gray replied already glaring at Natsu. Then they started mocking each other. They act so childish that's it impossible to believe they're wizards. This reminds me of when Erza and I used to do that when she challenged me. They eventually calmed down and Gray put on his clothes and joined us. We walked to a cliff where Happy was fishing. Gray was also using the woods as a shortcut to the guild.

"You know we should get back early. I heard Erza is due back anytime." Natsu shuddered at his comment. This is good, about time she showed up. This makes me wonder though. How much did she change?

"What's Erza like? I mean I have never seen her pictures on Sorcerer Weekly?" I asked hoping to get some info on her.

"A monster. She could kick down three mountains with a single kick like it's nothing. Not only that, but she could scare away an entire village with just her glare." This was not the Erza I knew. She definitely changed, but I think some of it is exaggeration. We all stood up getting ready to head back when all of a sudden were attacked by the sand.

When the dust cleared, we were stuck in the sand apart from Happy. We got out quick to find a group of wizards and a tied up Happy. I think he was going to be their dinner. Like we are letting that happen. Natsu and Gray fought the wizards while I freed Happy. I stood back and let the boys beat the wizards. After they did, I tied them all up to a tree. The boys were arguing again in behind me, but one of the wizards said something strange. Lullaby. What's that supposed to mean. Before I could ask, a shadow appeared beneath them and sent me flying back a bit. It cut down the tree in half and took the wizards. At first we were shocked, but it wore off. Whatever took those mages, certainly didn't want us following after them.

For the rest of the walk back to the guild, we were more aware of our surroundings to make sure we didn't get attacked again by that weird shadow. Eventually we made it back unharmed from anything else. I think we were all glad that we made it out, but that doesn't stop me from questioning what transpired then. The sun was setting in the horizon by the time we arrived at the guild. The boys decided to head home and relax while I went to the guild. I pushed the big doors to see a decently filled guild, though people are already starting to leave. I walked over to the bar and sat down, relaxing my aching legs from the walk. Mira came over and we chatted a bit.

"So Lucy, how was the job?" Mira asked in a very cheery attitude. Honestly I do like her, but no one can be happy without having something creeping within them. It's mere to impossible.

"It was basically a plot twist. The client wanted us to burn a book after we retrieve it from a rich guy. I somehow managed to read the book to find it to have a spell cast hiding the truth. We dealt with that and in the end we weren't paid because the client was broke and we didn't destroy the book," I spoke disappointingly. I know we helped out and brought some clarity to Kaby, but I seriously needed the cash for next week's rent. I have no desire to use the council's money just yet, or else I have to report them. I'll do it eventually, but right now I want to kick back and relax.

"Sounds adventurous. Don't worry about the money, we have different types of jobs on the request board to help with the money and possible excitement."

"I guess you're right Mira. I'm glad we didn't get blamed for Natsu blowing up the mansion."

"That's a great sign when realize his destructive habits. Also did you hear Erza is coming back tomorrow?"

"Yep. Gray was saying something like that on the way back. And something else, but I can't remember."

"Why don't you go home now? We will talk about it more tomorrow." We ended the conversation there and I left the guild, already heading for the dorms. The entire walk there, I kept thinking about Erza. She has changed and so have I, but not majorly. Then again it has been eight years, so change is natural. I just hope it's not too much to a point I'm basically having to reintroduce myself to her again. I got to the dorms fast and changed. I was already tired, so it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.

I was woken up to sunlight hitting my face as I laid on my comfortable bed. I bought a ton of furniture quickly from some old council money. The room walls were scarlet red and the floors were wooden that had a darker shade to it. It made me feel like a vampire to be honest. I got out of bed quickly and headed for the bathroom. Now the bathroom however was different, it had sandy wallpaper and white titles to it. Felt like I was living in a fancy hotel. I opened the tap of the bath to let the water fill up. While that happened I stripped down to nothing with a towel in hand. I moved towards the mirror to look at myself. The huge scar was permanently engraved into my left arm stretching from the top to stop exactly at my wrist. I touched it, feeling the marking as a reminder of what happened. I can't change the past now, might as well learn to deal with it. I sighed softly and headed towards the bath. I carefully sat down in it. The heat emitting from it felt amazing. My strained muscles relaxed and my mind slipped of any worries it once had. I got down deeper into the water to a point that only my eyes were above it. I closed my eyes to feel the heat and I finally relaxed.

(Time-skip to the guild)

I'm at the guild, fully clothed, fed, and washed. Right now I'm quenching for a relaxing drink. I got up from the table and headed to the bar and sat down. Mira must have seen me because she was already near my face, ready for whatever is coming next.

"Morning Lucy. Have goodnight sleep?" Mira asked gently in a motherly tone.

"Yep. Got any fruity drinks. Craving for one?" I asked with stars in my eyes.

"Yep. I have a strawberry milkshake that I have wanted for someone to test, so mind being my lab rat?"

"Hand it over." Mira gave me the drink. I tasted it and I was in heaven. Perfection doesn't even begin to word what I have drank. I was speechless, continuing to devour the drink. Mira giggled at my reaction.

"Glad you like it. Are you excited for Erza coming back today?"

"Uh yeah. But why are you talking like I know her?"

"Well you saved her after all those years ago. Don't worry too much about what she has said about you. Master and I only know about except for your last name."

"Fine. I'm excited to see her. Judging from some reactions, she is not the same person I've met eight years ago. Only natural."

"Agreeable. I don't particularly know what kind of change you exactly mean because that's how I've known her since we were kids."

"It's fine really. Imma' go find myself a job before I get kicked."

"Let me know when you pick one, I'm handling the requests since master is out of town for a guild conference." I nodded and jumped off the sit and headed for the board. There were several missions from finding a ring to killing a volcano demon. I was so caught up in finding one that I failed to miss the fact Natsu scaring me. I yelled at him for doing that and in response he just flashed me a goofy smile. That damned fire breather, any more from him and I will beat the hell out of him.

"Lucy hurry up and pick a job for us already. We picked the last one, so it's fair you only do it this time," Natsu said in smugly way.

"Exactly why should I pick a job for us? Last time I checked our little team is disbanded. You only needed me for that dumb mission because you looked for a blond ," I spoke annoyed by the idiot's understanding for most things.

"Aw c'mon don't be like that. We didn't only pick you for that. It's also because your nice." He flashed me one of his grins. Gray called out already in his underwear to say for me to join him. Cana, the drinking lady from before, informed the stripper of his situation which lead him to freak out. Natsu insulted him and they were once again back into mocking one another.

Loke, the ladies' man, picked me up and started cooing me. He promptly put me down after a few seconds. He must have noticed my keys from underneath my cloak because he called me out on it and ran in fear towards the door. Mira appeared beside me with a tiny smile on her face. I asked her what's the deal with Loke over there. She simply said he has a bad history with Celestial Wizards.

I was about to say something else when Natsu manhandled me to the ground. He laid on top of me while Gray looked pretty smug about throwing the fire breather at me. I managed to calm myself down fast before I started a brawl. Natsu got of me and went back to insulting Gray. Everyone else started laughing at them and I couldn't help to do it myself. All of a sudden Loki came back with bang from the guild doors. He yelled in fear about Erza being here. Everyone else started to shake in fear. My eyes went wide for a second before returning to normal. For some reason my heartbeat raised a bit, but calmed down fast. What the hell was that about. Doesn't matter now. Erza Scarlet we finally meet again. What surprises are you going to throw at me this time.

**Erza's POV**

I have just come back to Magnolia after another mission in an attempt to find Lucy. That girl seriously is good at hiding herself from anyone. I barely have any information on her location other than her running away from the mansion she used to live in. I doubt they have any news on her whereabouts. I'm walking closer to the guild with a giant horn I got from the mission I completed. The town's people decorated it and gave it to me as a gift for slaying the beast that caused their town harm. I inched closer and closer to the guild to notice the doors wide open for my entrance. Saves me the trouble of doing it myself. I walked in to see everyone frozen apart from Mira who greeted me. I placed down my horn which made a loud bang. Beside Mira was a cloaked blond girl with a familiar scarf.

"Is Master here? I have some important issues I'd like to discuss with him," I demanded Mira firmly. On my way back to Magnolia, I overheard some wizards talking about a sealed magic about to be open which has me worried. Top of that the people said something about Erigor, a leader of a dark guild named Eisenwald, wanting it.

"Sorry Erza, Master's away on conference," Mira replied. I sighed in rejection. I might as well gather Natsu and Gray to help me out with taking out the guild. They're more than capable though I wished Lucy were here. During the time we spent together, we were an inseparable pair not only in friendship, but also combat. Lucy had a knack for fighting and I greatly challenged her for it. I did get my butt kicked every time, but that doesn't matter. For all I know, Lucy and I could take this job on our own and beat the guild with no sweat. I wish she were here.

"Erza, what the heck is that horn?" one of the members asked me. I explained to them while also getting angry at them for not liking it. They raised their hands in defense to my statement. Speaking of which, the guild has been running around muck destroying towns every time they go on a mission somewhere. I turned around to face the others while started to yell people in shape. I called people out for their problems to a point I stopped knowing they'd never stop. Master never cared, but I certainly do. I'm pretty sure Lucy would smack in the head for this, knowing that because I did it to her.

"Erza, why exactly did you take that mission?" Mira asked sweetly. Almost to nice for my liking. No one knows about Lucy apart from Master and Mira. I think it's about time I tell them about her, so maybe they could help me find her.

"I took it to find a long-lost friend named Lucy. She wears a dark blue black scaled scarf and she has a knack for fighting like Natsu." My statement made the guild deadly silent. Did I say something wrong?

"Um Erza, I think you should stop looking for her," Mira said nervously. This made me angry.

"Why?" My tone shooting dangerously high while a dark aura was around me, which lead to everyone backing away apart from that cloaked girl. That's when I finally looked at her, that scarf was no mistake. That is Lucy. She changed so much, but at the same time not so much. Her features have grown like mine to look like a stunning young woman. She may be two years younger than me, but she definitely is still wiser. She is also wearing a cloak and beneath it was key ring that held what looked to be Celestial Keys. _What have you been up to?_

"Because Lucy is right in front of you." Mira pushed Lucy a slight bit closer to me. Lucy's warm eyes finally met mine and I knew then she was still the same old Lucy I remember her to be. She gave me a nervous look and waved hello while using her other to rub her neck. I requipped out of my armor into my normal clothes and gave her a tight hug. My head was in the crock of her neck while I took her strawberry scent in from long ago. She hugged me back as well and I was truly happy then. My best friend finally came back and joined us. She can do everything with me now even take away my occasional devastating nightmares. Then a warm fuzzy feeling attacked my body. Maybe it's just Lucy's body heat. She is kind of like Natsu in that way because of her magic.

"I missed you so much Lucy. You have no idea how long I waited," I spoke trying to hold back tears.

"I missed you too. Better not start tearin' up on me now Erza," she said teasingly. The only person who can tease me and get away alive. No one in the guild lived when they teased me or took my strawberry cake away.

"Quit teasing me already. Unless you want your butt handed to you."

"Bring it on Scarlet. I got a word to pick with ya'. What I say 'bout bein' a damn army general?"

"Forget 'bout that." The whole guild looked at us as if they saw a ghost apart from Mira who was smiling at us. I pulled out of Lucy's embrace to find Natsu and Gray. As much as I want Lucy to do this mission with me alone, it'll be better off to have a strong team to finish it off faster with high chance of success. "Where's Natsu and Gray?"

"Right here...Erza," Gray replied nervously while sweating buckets. He hugged onto Natsu tightly who seemed to be in a similar situation as well. It's funny how I scare them so easily. I'll definitely will try this on Lucy if she decides to use her actions instead of her brains.

"I have a favor to ask of you both. While traveling I heard something that has me concerned. Normally I'd consult with Master about this before deciding a course of action, but seeing as he is not here. I need your help to accompany me on this mission," I spoke firmly. The boys untangled from one another and looked at each other. Everyone else was muttering something underneath their breath. Lucy simply looked annoyed with her hands crossed over her chest. I smirked inwardly, knowing I got on her nerves without asking her for help me with this. The boys agreed to help me, which I am glad for. I'm going to try to keep Lucy annoyed a bit more before asking for help. Everyone else went back to what they were doing. Natsu cautiously walked over to the table muttering out 'Aye' like Happy along the way.

Lucy questioned Mira about the boys' odd behavior. She told her that they feared me because I beat them up when they were younger. In my offense they had it coming, though I doubt I'd be able to escape Lucy's little lecture.

"Not gonna invite me to the mission? I didn't know you were so mean?" Lucy asked while pouting. She looked cute doing that and I'm fine by admitting it.

"Why? Did I hurt your pride?" Iasked her with a devious smirk capturing my face.

"If this is about the strawberry cake incident then I already said I was sorry."

"You are forgiven for that. Would mind accompanying us on this mission Lucy? Your presence will certainly be of use."

"How could I turn down an offer like that? I'll join ya'." Lucy had on her warm smiles I remember so fondly. I told her to meet at the Magnolia Train station at nine o' clock tomorrow. She turned pale and green from hearing the word train. Seems her motion sickness hasn't gotten any better. I'm excited for tomorrow. With Lucy here now, we can finally go on more adventures like she promised me when we were younger.

(Time-skip to the train station)

I made it to the train station by nine with my cart filled with luggage. Lucy once said to always be prepared for anything, so I am. I walked a bit further to notice Lucy sitting with Plue and Happy. After leaving the guild yesterday with Lucy, we got caught up a bit on what happened. She told me she knows Celestial Magic now, but she doesn't use it as much as her original. I also noticed Gray and Natsu butting heads with one another which reminded me of when Lucy and I used to do that. We probably will now because other than Mira, she is the only one who is willing to challenge me and survive. I greeted the team hoping I wasn't too late as I had hoped. The boys stopped fighting and hugged each other as best friends. Lucy's expression turned from annoyed to astonished fast.

"Are we going on vacation or a mission?" she asked. I could hear the tease in her voice. She definitely wants to pick a fight. As much as I want to, we have a mission to complete. Only then will I accept her dual.

"Well you once said to be prepared, so this my preparation," I replied in a bored tone.

"When I said prepared, I meant of your surroundings and senses. Not whatever you got going on there!"

"My bad blondie. Right now we have a mission to go to so I suggest you move your stuff onto the train." Lucy turned green fast once again. I laughed at her situation. I won't let her wallow in her pity. I'll definitely put her on my lap and stroke her hair like back then to help her out a bit. I think I'll knock Natsu out though. My thoughts were interrupted by a certain fire mage.

"Oi Erza, I got something to ask ya," Natsu said with a determined voice. Gray tried to convince him to back out of whatever he's about to ask.

"Yes Natsu," I replied rather curious as to where this is going.

"I'll go on this mission on one condition. I demand a rematch when we get back." Everyone flipped out at his statement.

"I've gotten stronger since the last time we fought, so don't count on me losing easily."

"Yes, I see you have gotten stronger. As to whether or not you could beat me, that could be held debatable. I accept your challenge." Natsu's head lit up in flames while train whistled for everyone to get on. We put all of our luggage in a compartment and went to take a seat in a booth. Natsu and Gray sat beside each other with Happy in the middle while Lucy sat beside me across from them. There was a table on Lucy's side as well as the window as both Lucy and Gray sat there. The train whistled once more departing for its destination. Both dragon slayers got sick quick. Natsu had his head back up against the seat while Lucy fell green in my lap.

"Honestly Natsu, I don't think anyone could get even more pathetic as you. One minute your picking a fight and now your turning green because of a vehicle,"Gray said out loud a bit annoyed with Natsu after some time.

"Well...you...wouldn't...know...how...motion sickness... kills you," Lucy spoke weakly through the sickness. I gently stroked her hair and she wasn't gagging as much as before.

"Doesn't matter. It's annoying."

"Gray's right to a certain degree. Gray push Natsu slighter over to me," I commanded Gray. He followed along and held Natsu out a bit. I clenched my fists before punching Natsu's stomach hard. He went limp immediately and Gray settled him down on the seat again. I looked at Lucy and she was afraid and shocked was written all over her eyes. I reassured her that I won't be doing that to her as she has her a bit under control.

"Erza. I think it's about time you filled us in on this mission."

"Your right." I quickly got to the explanation fast without leaving anything behind. I was angry with myself for not stopping them sooner upon hearing them. Because of them, many could get hurt. As I spoke more, the anger was slowly building up inside me. Lucy must have noticed because she put her arms around my waist. I stiffened at her action then a slight blush rose up on my cheeks. I noticed a piece of cloth on her left arm, but not on her right. I'll ask her about that later.

"You..said something...about..a Lullaby," Lucy spoke groggy.

"Yes, why do you know something?," I asked in a hurry. If she knows anything about this powerful magic, then she must spill.

"The other day...the boys and I were heading back from a job...when were attacked by a couple of mages. We beat them up...and tied them to a tree...One of them said something about...Lullaby...The name itself is familiar to me...but... I have no idea...where from..I'll try my best to remember..."

"Thank you Lucy."

"Say what kind...of magic do you have?...When we were kids...you said something about weapons..."

"You'll see for yourself when we fight, but personally I favor Gray's magic." Lucy turned to Gray who put a fist on his free palm and made an ice guild mark. I explained to Lucy that Gray uses Ice Maker Magic. She mumbled something about why Natsu and Gray hate each other, but decided to drop it. After a bit more, Lucy fell asleep on my lap with her arms beside her body. Her face still made uncomfortable looks from the sickness, but nonetheless looked peaceful. I'm so happy she is here, it makes my heartbeat in my different ways I never thought it did.

20 minutes later and the trained stopped. I put Lucy down on the seat to grab our luggage. By then Natsu was already awake and off the train with his luggage and Happy. Gray followed them out as did I with my cart of luggage. I felt like I was forgetting something, but I couldn't put my mind to it. I got off and the train set off again. We were walking on the platform in the Onibas Station, the last place I ran into Eisenwald. Heading out of the train station when Happy said the clearest thing ever.

"Guys, where's Lucy?," Happy asked questionably as to where our comrade is. That's when it hit me, I left Lucy on the train. She will definitely hold a grudge against me for that. I didn't waste any time to get into a room where the conductors controlled the tracks within the station. I threatened them to stop the train which applied easily. I ran out of the train station with the boys to find a car. We found a magic mobile, which uses a SE plug to allow the user to drive. It'll be attached to my arm, sucking the magic energy within me to be required to work. The boys got in without much persuasion and I drove to where the train was stopped. _Please let Lucy be okay. I'm sorry.._

**Lucy's POV **

I woke up from my nap to find myself alone on a moving train. I sat up green, trying to steady my breathe. I had my head down and my arms out of my cloak on my lap. I was sweating bullets, but the worst of all was Erza and the boys had forgotten me on this train. I hate vehicles and they had the nerve to forget me on here. I sigh mentally while body is struggling to keep pace. Then a weird guy started talking to me.

I looked up at him, flushed. He had pale skin, black hair tied up in a ponytail, white coat with dark gray outlines and pockets in his chest, a dark red t-shirt, light blue pants with pockets, and black shoes. He had a smug expression on his face and his voice seemed relatively normal for man.

"Looky here, a Fairy Tail Wizard. How's the guild treating ya these days?," he asked getting closer to me. I was about to answer when his foot hit my face. I glared at him menacingly through my right eye. He continued his babbling. "Don't act so high and mighty about it legal fairy brat. Your just a bunch of wimps who blindly follow the council's rules without batting an eye." His expression turned from smug to anger. He must be a dark mage considering his hate for the council. I lit up my fist in dragon slayer magic and he got off me. He stepped a few inches away as I got up. "Looks like I hit a nerve." Now I was pissed. Now both of my hands were lit, but they went out quick when the sickness returned. He mocked before attacking me.

He summoned a dark purple magic circle underneath him and out came shadows that sent me a swift uppercut. I lost balance from the attack and fell back with bruises. His shadow magic, don't tell me he is a moron who attacked those mages two days ago. Before he could make another move, the train screeched to halt. I got pushed back more and he fell forward. A wooden flute with a skull came out of his pocket and landed in the middle of us. I felt better when the train stopped. My eyes fell on the flute and everything fell into place. Lullaby, a demon from the books of Zeref. I've learned a lot about Zeref and his demons six months ago, so it wasn't surprising to know about this. The shocking part was that they managed to unseal such a dangerous weapon. I tried to grab it, but the shadow mage got to it before me.

Having enough of this fight, I lit up my right fist and punched him only to be clashed with his shadows as providing defense from the attack. The clash created a minor explosion within the cart and everything was destroyed apart from the windows. The shadow mage had his hand tightly gripped onto flute for dear life. I tried to get to him again, only to be stopped by the announcement. Turns out the stop was a false alarm and that it'll continue moving again. If I stay on this train any longer fighting him, I'll lose. I grabbed my stuff from the upper compartment and set it on my back. Ready to ditch the metal monster.

"Hey where do you think your going? Your dealing with an Eisenwald member," the shadow mage said huffing for air.

"Look buddy, I'm not gonna let you get away with trash-talking Fairy Tail's name, so let's finish thi-" I was cut off by the movement. Seeing I can't get my revenge here, I'll find him and give it to him later. I kicked the windows open and jumped out to be clashed with Gray on top of a green car. We collided and hit the ground roughly and I heard the car stop. Erza rushed to my side picking me up and bashed my head against her armor.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Erza whispered softly to me. I can hear the regret and sadness in her voice. I didn't like it when she talked or acted like that. My heart tightened slightly. It was my personal mission from the first time I met her to keep her happy and safe. She may be the most powerful female wizard in the guild, but behind the armor is a woman who just wants to be loved.

"Our definitions of fine differs," I remarked. I'm feeling lightheaded not only from the crash, but also from Erza's "hug". The boys came up to us to check if I were fine or not. I reassured them that I was, so they don't worry too much.

"What happened Lucy? You looked banged up and I don't think it's from jumping off the train," Erza inquired.

"Got that right. I was attacked by one of those Eisenwald members. It was the one that took those mages two days ago."

"And YOU LET THEM GET AWAY!" Erza yelled as she violently shook me.

"You didn't let me finish idiot," I said getting even dizzier than before.

"My bad. Continue."

"He had the flute. I tried to grab it, but he was extremely protective of it. I tried to fight him for it, but the train started moving and got out fast." Everyone's mood plummeted. "Don't worry though, we will get 'em back for that." Everyone nodded, but the atmosphere was still gloomy. I sighed dejectedly. Nothing is going to change it unless we get them. "Listen, I finally figured out what Lullaby is." All eyes turned on me. Silence ensued the sunny day. The hard ground or swaying trees felt numbing compared to their stares.

"Lullaby is death magic. It's like a cursed song except it has been modified. It was created from the Books of Zeref. He added a demon to it, making it overwhelming death ravaging to anyone who hears it. I'm extremely shocked to see something of this power was unsealed in the first place." They carefully took in the words. I guess the entire situation was overwhelming for them, but I didn't expect the depressive atmosphere.

Far from it to be frank. After a minute, their moods changed to a happier one. Looks like it was just some thinking that they needed for their brains to actually start working. We didn't waste anymore time and hopped onto the car. Gray was still on the run, Erza was driving, and Natsu, Happy and I sat in the back. Erza didn't even bother to slow when she drove. She was using up more of her magic making it go at the speeds it did. If she is going to fight then it's only fair for me to protect while she does. She may have gotten stronger, but her loss of magic won't help beat everyone of them. I just hope we will make it in time to beat the suckers up. It's been too long for me to go without a fight, a bit of action doesn't hurt in the long run.

**Narrator's POV **

Elsewhere in Kunuji Station, the members of Eisenwald has currently taken ahold of the train. Several members used their magic to scare the people to leave the train with their luggage or else face death. The midst of the chaotic scene, one man seemed rather pleased by sights before him. He craved the fear the passengers gave off, reminding him the reason why he was doing this. Revenge against those who shunned his guild from the light to the dark by the Magic Council. He held off his bloodlust to kill the mere pathetic mortals in front of him. For the sake of the mission, he would give into his satisfaction later. He had silver spiked hair, pale skin, and dark black eyes. He was merely shirtless and had strange blue markings around his chest and arms whilst small black markings on his face. He wore a partial skirt-like pants with the top as white, middle as black, and bottom as purple. He wore sandals and had a scythe with him. The scythe had a wooden handle with a white skull attached to the other side of the sharp fierce blade that held the blood of many lives that he had killed with it. He wore a black scarf and gloves. Just above his hands were bandages that covered until about the elbow joint.

He noticed a member of his guild had just got of the broken part of the train with a few scratches and dust. He interacted with him and inquired about the broken cart only to be met with an explanation to be served later. The member held out Lullaby to present to the master with great pride and strife. The master felt his happiness rising from the bottom pits of hell itself. Not many things had him excited these days, but now the main item he needed in his plans were presented in front of him, he can't help but give out a smile at the retrieval. He called out his members to board the train as he walked in. Before he did, he glanced at the scene once more with a sinister smile. Everyone boarded it fast and 'convinced the conductor' to drive them to Oshibana Station.

As they took the train ride, the master demanded the man with the flute to elaborate why a cart was practically destroyed and he was harmed. The member gave the explanation to his master, needless to say, the master was furious. Lullaby was shown to the enemy and the chances of them finding out the real plan is very high. The master slashed at his member, but only got the seat. The member reassured that nothing would go wrong. The master only hoped he spoke the truth or else something very unfortunate will be going down.

**Erza's POV**

We stopped at Kunuji Station for a break. The magic mobile is taking too much of my magic power because of how fast I was driving. We are a major hurry to catch up to Eisenwald, but it seemed we just missed them. They hijacked the train we were on to I think we heard Oshibana Station. I feel bad for Lucy and Natsu for their motion sickness, but they can learn to suck it up. By the end of this mission, I have a feeling that Lucy and I are going to have a very big talk about everything. I don't mind to be honest since the first time I met her, I never wanted to leave her side. Even though we parted ways for eight years, we are back together again. I refuse to let her leave me or guild. She is staying whether or not she likes it. I know I'm going overboard, but I just don't want her to leave.

I could hear their gagging from over the car engines and wind speed. Gray is still shouting for me take it slow, but hell I will. People could die from one single sound out of Lullaby, and I'd be damned to let that happen. If I had remembered what they guild they were from then none of this would be happening right now. I have to let that go now and focus on the task at hand. I'll probably won't have major amounts of magic stored up within me when we fight them, but that's what the team is for. They are more than capable to handle this, though I'd have to reprimand them for their destructive nature. Especially Lucy, she just loves the idea of watching everything in ashes.

We neared the station in Oshibana. I noticed the massive train station had a giant gray smoke cloud coming out of it. They have arrived, and now the question remains. Where are they? We stopped at the station and noticed a massive crowd of people around it. There was a man with a megaphone reassuring and demanding them to leave a to be careful. Gray, Happy, and I got out of the car while Natsu and Lucy were stuck inside. Natsu was face planted into the car and half of Lucy's body was out of the window. I carried Lucy on my back while Gray did the same thing for Natsu. I dropped Lucy to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I neared the conductor with the megaphone about the position about the guild. He didn't give me an answer so I head-butted him. This went on with three others until the fourth one finally told me. I once again picked Lucy up on my back and headed into the station.

White square tiles, white lined pillars, and even a white ceiling might be labeled a bloody hospital. We ran inside to find the platform. Natsu and Lucy were still feeling the effects, though Lucy looked to have it worse. We started coming closer when we noticed a scattering of unconscious Rune Knights from the council. They must have sent them to stabilize the situation, but they failed because they were up against a group of dark mages. We passed them and walked instead of running because we found the platform. Erigor the Reaper, was the name of the Eisenwald Guild Master, was sitting on the train lazily while his members were beside the train. They're were so many of them. The problem that bothered me the most was why and what exactly are they planning for. Now we stood on a platform in front of them. I dropped Lucy beside me, so it would be easier to protect her and fight at the same time.

There was a man with silver hair and a scythe sitting lazily on the train. Who I presumed to be Erigor the Reaper. His guild was once apart of the light guild's once before falling from ranking a few years ago. The Magic Council banned assassination missions and the guild didn't want to give up that power. They became a dark guild only accepting assassination jobs.

"Welcome Fairy Tail. Care to join our parlor?" Erigor questioned with a devious smirk on his face. This man annoys my blood to no end. Worst of all there are a bit too many mages to take on without Lucy or Natsu's help.

"You fiend! I take it your Erigor." My voice thundered throughout the building in venom. He merely chuckled at my comment. One of the mages came forth a slight and blamed Lucy for getting him in trouble. At this comment, Lucy's eyes came back to life and muttered something under her breath. I demanded Erigor give me his reasoning for wanting Lullaby and the death of innocents. He went on about how the council threw them out and how much he wanted revenge against them. I was starting to get fed up with his babbling of utter nonsense. Just then the same mage who blamed Lucy started using his magic. He crouched down and summoned shadows with fists coming at me. I was about to use my sword when Lucy stood up and used her magic to shove it away.

"How could I forget a voice like that," Lucy said proudly. "Looks like we got ourselves a little party here. Shall we dance?"

"Aye Lucy," Natsu cheered as he got in position. These two are so alike, but different. It's unprecedented. More of the mages on their side got ready for a fight. Now that everyone is back up to full speed, we can take them on. If Natsu and Gray work together, they could take on Erigor and win. With Lucy backing me up with these mages, we can save lives before they are lost.

"Let's get this party rollin'." Lucy had a smirk on her face and cracked her knuckles. Erigor flew up and disappeared. I ordered the boys to stop bickering and take Erigor and they were off in a swift. The shadow mage and a mage that looked like he could use straining magic followed after them. Lucy grumbled about how the shadow mage was a complete wimp about ignoring her fight with her. Nonetheless, that was discarded quickly when she laid her eyes upon the numerous dark mages. They called us out and I summoned my sword, preparing to fight. Lucy looked completely shocked at me. I smirked at her before I got the idea of teasing her and surprising her even more.

"Listen up, if you dare insult Fairy Tail's name in my presence again then prepare to forfeit your lives at the hands of my sword," I said seriously while pointing my sword. It was silver completely. The handle had a darker shade of gray to complement the craftsmanship with carved edged wings coming out at the intersection of the handle and blade. "Also Lucy, you might wanna step back a bit. If you want to see my magic in all its glory then prepare now." She was fuming by then, but Happy convinced her otherwise. She was mad for two reasons, one being that she wanted to fight, and two because I already used up a hefty some of my magic driving us here. She stood back a bit to watch me.

A few mages with sword magic charged me with no fear in their hearts. I merely slashed all of them in one blow as I dove into a bigger horde of mages and slashed them as well. Three mages used some sort of beam and shot it at me. I jumped up dodging it while requipping a spear into my hands. I used the spear to take out two more hordes of mages while requipping again to have twin swords. I slashed another group several times before they were knocked out as well. Whilst in the background I heard Happy explaining what Requip Magic is to Lucy. Basically I store up my armor and weapons in a pocket dimension and use them from their to attack mages. The pocket dimension can hold so much, so I chose about 100 or a slight bit more than into my dimension.

The next thing I heard Lucy charge into a group of mages with her magic. I heard the ground and wall crack from whatever her attack was. I glanced back at Lucy slightly to see her with her fists ignited in light. This brought back some favorable memories of when we were children. She must have used her fists to beat up those fools. I wanted to compliment her then, but stopped when I realized if I did then she'd steal these mages from my sight. Now having my attention back these mages, they were still an abundant number of them to handle with mere weapons. Using my armor in this situation would be more suitable. I summoned a red magic circle beneath me and my armor glowed.

I picked one of my famous armors which was suitable for this situation because it could take more enemies at once. I picked the armor called Heaven's Wheel. I requipped into it and heard the men swooning over me while I heard a very menacing growl from Lucy. I wonder what that was about. I stood in front of everyone in my armor. White silver large wings were on the higher and lower part of my back. My feet and arms were covered in a dark shade of silver while owning my first swords from the beginning of the fight. A skirt with dark metal parts representing feather like features were attached to my back, a dark gray scaled feature supporting my wings and crossing slightly over to my abdomen. My chest and abdomen showed with on my stomach being cut of my a unique angel design supporting my breasts. A silver headband with small angel wings coming out of two sides and an angelic silver design around my neck. My hair was covering the right eye while dawning myself in a serious expression. One of the men finally realized who I was and who they were dealing with. I jumped back up a bit in the air and summoned a few swords in a circle.

"Dance, my swords!," I chanted out as the swords circled and rapidly spun. They spun enough before shouting out 'Circle Sword' and unleashing the swords upon them. I stood in front of only two men, while the others were knocked out on the ground, with their expressions completely drained from their face. I requipped back into my normal armor and glared at them. One of them came at me with lighted fists and I punched him in the face, sending him flying back and knocked out. The other knew who I was and ran for the exit. I turned my head back to Lucy who told Happy something before he flew off after the guy. She came closer to me as I fell on my knees.

"You were totally awesome out there." You could hear the excitement in her voice. "I wanna fight you when we get back." The same old Lucy that never changed. I flashed a smile at her with a pained expression as the exhaustion of using up too much magic from earlier laced my body.

"I take it you're impressed with my fight."

"Over the moon, but did you have to be that reckless in showing off. I know you used up that much magic, so why not let me take the rest out while you rest? And don't tell me it's because of the guild's pride." I chuckled nervously as I stared into her eyes. She sighed before getting up. "Reckless as ever. Some things don't change. Take a break now before going crazy on someone else." Before I could yell at her, she ran off to probably find Happy and the runaway mage. I relaxed my body while putting my faith in the others to complete the job without fail.

**Gray's POV **

Natsu and I ran through the halls glaring and insulting each other. The hallways were different from the public part of the station. It was retro with it's dark brick floors, classic brick standard walls, and minimalistic ceilings. We kept that up until the hallway came to an end, showing us two separate hallways. We I suppose encouraged each other before I ran off to the left.

I ran a bit more before reaching the broadcasting room. If they planned to sing Lullaby's song then the speakers are the fastest option. I walked into the room surrounded by the equipment and no people. That's odd. If they planned to sing it, why not use the speakers? Something doesn't add up here. Then I heard a pair black ropes coming at me from behind. I dodged forth and the man with a pharaoh hat, tanned skin, and regular clothing showed up. He had a smirk on his face before landing on his feet.

"Your definitely smarter than you look pal, but that won't save you now. Your just a pest in our plan," the pharaoh man spoke smugly with a crazy look in his eyes.

"Looks like there is another story to this," I retorted back getting ready for his attack. He sent me his magic, calling them urumi swords. This time he sent it straight for me. I made a fist and crashed it against it the palm of my free hand. I chanted out 'Ice-make: Shield' and a massive shield of ice erupted from the ground, protecting me from his attacks. I chanted out my magic again and sent him a ice-made knuckles his way. Promptly, he was thrown off guard and took the hit heard, sending him into the wall. It broke from the impact and I inched closer to him. I picked him up from the ground and held him roughly against the wall.

"Start talkin'," I stated calmly, but with a slight anger in my voice. He was pinned, so he didn't have a chance to get out.

He chucked before replying, "Erigor's Magic Wind Barrier should be activated by now."

"Wind Barrier?"

"A massive storm of wind should be circling the station. You runts are trapped in here." My grip on his shirt tightened. This moron is saying something, but nothing is adding up.

"I hear you talkin', but nothing makes sense! Tell me what's really goin' on."

"We took over this train station to block traffic and stop ya' idiots. Our plan is simple. This train line is the only one to Clover Town. The town is over a large gouge, so this was the only way to get to it unless you can fly like Erigor."

"Lullaby's there?!"

"There is also something else in Clover. Try to remember." Before I could question him any further, he used his urumi to send me back. I used my arms to block my chest and face at the same time. _Clover Town. That's where the Guild Master's Conference is being held. Their plan wasn't to make the innocents suffer but the masters. Their real target is the Guild Masters!_ He must've seen the realization in my eyes because he made a comment on it.

"Going after those old-timers with the flute? I doubt they could hear it," I retorted. He attacked me again with his magic pushing me back even further towards the broken wall. We glared before I could do anything, his magic captured me. I'll admit, even though it's supposed to be a sword, the black rope like structure is more sufficient for capturing enemies not attacking them.

"Erigor will succeed without a doubt! That doesn't matter for you now or your buddies. Your trapped and I'll do the pleasure of killing ya'." He had that crazy look written all over his face. I was furious at this point. The Guild Masters may have been annoying and old, but they are the closest thing to family anyone could dream of. I'd be damned to let anyone take that away from us. I used my magic and froze his ropes and it spread towards his body considering the magic came from his hands. I used my strength and broke the ropes. His body was half frozen and I inched closer to him. I placed my hand on his face and menacingly glared at him. I saw the fear in his eyes, but I could clear less. I froze the rest of body while he went hysterical at the idea.

I walked away from him to find Erza and the others. We need to find a way out and give Erigor a bashing. I'm no villain, but I'll gladly become one for my guild. I just hope we get to him in time before we lose him and the masters.

**Erza's POV **

I got out a megaphone and a beeline for the balcony. If their plan is to harm innocents to get revenge for a pitiful reason, I refuse to let innocents perish at their tortuous hands. I got out to the balcony and faced everyone with authority and confidence. I explained to them the situation in brief details, not letting too much out. They became frightful and hysterical and ran away from the station. A few conductors were beside me and looked at me funny. I explained the same thing I did to the people and they ran with the people. I looked back at the running crowd with distant eyes. I glanced back up to the sky, hoping I saved them in time. This doesn't help my situation though. Erigor's plan never indicated that he'd use the flute on them, but on someone. Who though?

I redirected my thoughts on the station out of the corner of my eyes. My eyes went wide when I turned around fully to see the station surrounded by a monstrous wind barrier. I felt Erigor behind me floating. I faced him and he had that damn smirk on his face. He tried to amuse me by saying he had the desire to fight me, but simply couldn't because he was on the clock. He made a magic circle with his hand and it appeared in front of me. It shoved me back to into the station. He must've it so that I didn't get caught up to the storm. I tried to make it the past barrier, but when my right arm made contact with it, my arm got grazed and wounded severely. Pushing me back onto the ground with scratches, I yelled at Erigor over the barrier. He simply said goodbye and flew away. That moron trapped us in here with no way out. I hope the others are doing well because I'll be needing them to figure a way out. Whatever Erigor's true plan is, I hope we stop it in time.

**I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL OR ITS CHARACTERS AND PLOT. ONLY THE ONES I CREATE. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO HIRO MASHIMA**


	6. Chapter 5-Lullaby

**Erza's POV**

Erigor managed to get away while the rest of us trapped in this damn barrier. If only I had stopped them back at where I last found them then we wouldn't be in this dumb mess. That doesn't matter now, all we need to figure out is a way to get out and catch up to that fly. I had ran back to the platform and tied up the unconscious wizards with some ropes from my magic. While I was doing so, I noticed one of them started to regain his senses, but was still heavily injured to move his limbs. I walked over to him and grabbed him by the collar to make him answer my questions. As fate would have it, the man kept stating the obvious. I was about to knock him and go look for the others when Gray came rushing in with a frantic look on his face. He started explaining the real plan the guild was after in the first place.

This was bad, but now it turned worse. If we don't find a way out soon, the masters will be history for all we know. Just then I remembered that the shadow mage named Kage was the one who broke the seal for Lullaby. He might be a dispeller wizard or shadow one, but right now that doesn't fully matter. I explained to Gray and we headed towards the hallways to find Kage. Hopefully Natsu or Lucy found him, if not then it might take some time. Something we don't have the luxury of relaxing.

**Natsu's POV**

I was mad and fired up. Stupid Erza sent us to deal with Erigor and we can't even find him. I'm glad Ice stripper and I split ways or else we would've been fighting each other than the actual target. Here I am now running through the hallways bashing into every room with my magic, trying to find him. I broke into another when I noticed one of lackey's staring at me. He had spiky green hair, huge lips, tanned skin, and a red shirt. He had a very nervous look on his face and half his body was through the ground due to his magic. He noticed me and tried to get away, but my reflexes were faster and I punched him out of the ground and into a pile of boxes. Now on the ground with no way of getting out, I started to impatient and interrogated him on.

He spilled something that made my blood rage at high temperatures. I scared him that much. His task was to take out one of his own guild mates for the sake of the mission. I punched him square in the face with anger. These dark guilds treat their members and friends like absolute trash. They put priority on themselves than their friends. I will make every single member of this guild pay for treating their comrades as second class not on their level. I picked up the knocked dude, thinking he'd prove to be useful in spilling other information if I handed him to Erza. She is deadly scary when she is ticked off. I don't know how Lucy even knows her. Erza has always kept quiet about her past and we never bothered to ask. All she said was that she was in a bad situation and a little girl helped her out. So when Erza talked about Lucy, I was freaked out. That also means Lucy is seriously strong from what I heard about their conversation. When we get back, not only am I challenging Erza, but also Lucy. This will be the best fight ever and I'm totally winning. Best way to prove who's the better dragon slayer.

I made out of the room with the dude on my back and headed for the hallway. That's when I noticed Erza and Gray running up to me. They filled me on everything and I explained to them about this dude. They were furious as well and we could've killed the guy right then and there if it weren't for the fact we had bigger problems than this. Erza also had a grazed right arm, but I didn't question her because she was ticked. She suggested we find Lucy and see if she found this Kage or Doggie person. That's when we heard and felt the whole building shake countless times. Erza started running in the way she heard the most impact and we followed suit. I've seen Lucy use her magic one, but other than that it was all brains. I can't wait to challenge her.

**Lucy's POV **

Happy and I are running down an odd hallway before coming to a halt. The design of this was different than other parts of the station. I just lost the scent of that chubby guy, so now we might as well walk around aimlessly before we find him or the others. The hallway had a gray lined floor followed by the walls of the same interior. Luggage was scattered all around along with children's toys, hinting that they got the citizens out before they were harmed. The huge difference was that there were massive knight armors with swords, stuck to the wall. They reminded me of Erza and her fighting style. Speaking of her, she became a damn army general with requipping magic. If it weren't for the fact that Natsu challenged her first then I would've done it.

After stopping momentarily, we picked up faster before I got punched to the side, sending me towards the knight. Whoever hit me into the damn rustic metal armor is about to get hell on their life. In less than a second, the entire armor came crashing down on me before I got a look at who hit me while I heard Happy screaming my name. I am now stuck under a pile of metal, being squished by the heavy armor. I didn't waste time to use my magic, and burst through the rubble. I got up, and saw who decided to make me into a bowling ball for the knight. No surprise it was the shadow mage from twice.

"What the hell buddy! I thought you were going after my team," I growl at the idiot.

"Kage! The name's Kage! Your teammates should be lying on the ground right 'bout now thanks to my guild," Kage smirks at me. I jumped down from the rubble, and stood in front of him with Happy coming to my side.

"Happy get back"-starting to point at Kage-"As for you, tell me where the hell Erigor is?"

"If you want answers then you're going to have to beat it out of me."

"Sounds like music to my ears. Killing two birds with one stone, sign me up!" I lit up my fists and smirked. He sent his shadows at me again, but I simply used my arms to protect my chest and face while getting pushed back towards the rubble. This amateur is going down if he thinks his shadows are going to save him from my magic. He sent even more shadows towards my direction, and this time I dodged them easily. All of them came at me face first, and left no time for me to properly get out the way. Luckily, I just turned by body in a specific angle while I had my right hand on the floor, and missed the attack completely. Kage was getting madder by the second because I kept dodging while laughing as well as Happy. That's when Kage got fed up, and decided to use a different move entirely. He yelled out 'Shadow Snakes', and a ton of giant snakes came towards me. No point in dodging, so I used my magic.

I lit up my fists once more, and put my arms in a dodging position while I ran up to the snakes. I jumped up into the air with my arms in the back, making wings of the dragon, and sent the attack towards the snake. "Celestial Dragon: Wing Attack!" I yelled out, and wings made out of star energy collided with the snake. The collision had sent an impact towards me as I was slightly pushed back, and the building shook. That might attract attention, whether it was good or bad, was not in my mind. The smoke cleared, and I saw Kage completely terrified. I walked closer to him with my fists engulfed in star energy, and with a smirk on my face. He called me a monster before he got thrown into the wall, leading to another room, by me. I walked towards the whole in the wall to notice the rubble and smoke around him, and the area of my attack. He was slouched on the ground with scratches and dirt around him.

I asked him once more for Erigor's location to which he chuckled, and said that the man was already gone, and headed for Clover Town. This made me confused because the intentions didn't match up with the purpose. Then it clicked, the Guild Masters Conference was being held in Clover. If they wanted revenge then it would make sense to go after the ones who caused them pain. I was about to ask Kage for information to confirm my theory when I heard the others rushing towards me frantically. I noticed that Natsu was carrying the chubby man when the chubby used his magic and disappeared to the floor. We all got ready to attack him when Kage cried out in pain. We all turned to see the chubby man's hand pull out of Kage. Erza rushed towards Kage, and put him in her lap while she screamed to wake up. The three of us froze not knowing what to do with what just happened when Natsu lit up his fists, and dashed towards the chubby man with pure hate and anger, knocking out the mage in between the floor, cold. Gray sat beside Erza, trying to tell her it was hopeless with Kage, but reason doesn't even seem to faze her. She kept on babbling on how she was going to force Kage into using his magic to break the wind barrier outside which I had no knowledge about.

After getting some bandages and patching Kage up, we headed towards the balcony while Erza carried Kage. I noticed that the wind speeds fast and dangerous to pass through. I considered using Gray's ice magic, but that won't work for long before being torn to shreds. Natsu being the moron, decided that it was completely fine to start dash at the barrier with all his might. After a few attempts of him trying, I held him back, fearing he'd be torn to shreds if he didn't stop. That's when he turned his head towards me, and stares into my eyes with complete seriousness before yelling, causing me to hold my ears and smacking him. Natsu actually had a bright idea of going through the Spirit World. It wouldn't work because no one can survive, and it is a complete breach of privacy within the contract of the holder and spirit. And even if we did go through it, we would need another Celestial Wizard to open it for us to pass. I tried my best to explain to him, but he is hopeless.

That's when Happy screamed, causing me to repeat the same action with him. He started explaining that he got his hands on a Zodiac Key, Virgo. I scolded him for stealing the key from Everlue. On cue, Happy explained that the contract broke when the rich bastard got arrested, and she wanted to make a contract with me. That's when it hit._ Virgo uses Earth Magic, so that means she could dig us a tunnel out of this place. I just hope that she doesn't mind doing this for me without a contract. From what I heard from Layla, Virgo is a loyal spirit with a weird obsession of wanting to be punished_. Everyone noticed that I became quiet, and my eyes went wide. I demanded Happy for the key, and he gave it without much resistance. I told the others to back away. They moved back, and I held Virgo's key tightly in my hand. I turned my attention back to the group, asking them to start. Erza simply nodded with a tiny smile, which no one could see, and I followed by a single nod before turning my back. "I call upon thee in the world of the Celestial Spirits. And now I beckon you to my side at once, pass through the gate. Open gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" I chanted out, and held the key outwards while a golden magic circle was placed beneath me.

On cue, the spirit came out with all her glory. She had extremely pale skin, emotionless blue eyes, short bright pink hair, and small other facial features. She wore a black maid costume with the white apron taking up most of the middle of the dress. The sleeves were short, but designs around them looked like petals. She wore very high white socks with small black shoes, completing the interior. Followed by, shackles attached to chains on her arms, and tiara made of cloth on her head. She looked completely different from when I saw her last time. For one, she looked like a "gorilla" according to Natsu, but I'll have to admit she looked more like a man with pigtails than who she is now. The change however, isn't shocking at all. Due to the fact she is a loyal spirit, she often changes forms that would please the master.

"You summoned mistress, how can I help?" she asked sweetly in a gentle voice. The others looked confused as to why I summoned her, except Happy, he smirked. I ignored their stares and Happy's smirk, and focused my attention on Virgo.

"Yeah about that. I know we don't have a contract or anything, but would mind helping my friends and I?" I asked nervously, secretly hoping she'd accept. When I first summoned Aquarius without a contract asking for help, she threw a ten foot wave in my face. The thought makes my whole body shiver. I just hope Virgo doesn't reject or else there goes my whole plan down the drain.

"Of course mistress. How may I be of service?"

"I was wondering if you could use your magic and dig a hole out for us. Also please don't call me mistress. I don't like that."

"That can be done without a problem. Would mind if I called you princess then?"

"Not at all, in fact I think that's perfect. Thanks a lot for helping, once this mission is done, I promise to make a contract with you." She nodded, and used her magic to dig a hole. I turned back to see everyone confused. We got in the hole, walking a few minutes before we got out. The wind blew just as bad from the outside with having a hard time properly standing. I thanked Virgo for her help, and sent her back, giving my full attention to the team. We took Kage with us because it would look, feel for leaving him behind for dead.

We all stared a bit more at the barrier before Kage spoke out about them winning. If it weren't for the fact he is injured, I would've already punched the daylights out of him. That's also when we noticed that both Happy and Natsu disappeared. If I'm right then those two specifically Natsu, went after Erigor. I just hope they can stop it before it's too late. We didn't waste anymore time loitering around, and jumped into the Magic Mobile with Erza once again, driving herself to exhaustion. I opened the window when the car started, and felt myself becoming greener than grass. We better catch up to those meat heads for I myself have an urge to beat the hell out of something. The dark guild members were completely pathetic. I stared out to the scene with my limited, and render myself to my thoughts.

**Narrator's POV**

Farther away from our protagonists, lies Clover Canyon. It is rumored that its walls rise up, suffocating anyone who passes through it due to how deep it is. The only way to the town is a single train line. Currently, Erigor crouches upon the tracks, looking distantly at the line and area. He slowly stands up, admiring the wind brushing past his skin as he lets his thoughts run wild. The area is peacefully quiet with only the wind howling breaking the only silence from time to time. Erigor stares at his scythe before drawing his attention to Lullaby which resides in his free hand.

The tracks were old and rustic, showing its time from when it was built to now." Clover is so close now with my magic. Better off, the magic I used to create the wind barrier, is fully recharged," he speaks out loud. Talking to no one in particular, he uses his magic once again to fly up. "Those fools robbed us of our rights, and left us to be humiliated in front of the world. No more of that. They now will feel the Reaper's destruction." Speaking out loud once more, he then bursts through the air at tremendous speeds, leaving no one at his quake. Little did he know that a flying cat, carrying his partner, was just behind.

Farther up ahead, is the Guild Master Conference's building. The old building has faded orange walls with dark wooden roofs. The building has four pillar-like towers with dark wooden triangular roofs. The entrance has simple big double doors with big silver handles. Upon entering, numerous guilds across wherever attend the place. The walls are a simple shade of white with lined wooden ledges across the entire room. The ceiling follows the same as the walls, but the floors are cobblestone.

"Mackey I'm so jealous! Your wizards are so full of life, and not to mention cutie pies!" Bob, Master of the Blue Pegasus Guild, squeals. He has pale skined, leg hair, and an obese body. He also is entering his old age which is evident by his body. He is currently wearing a magenta tank top followed by a pink and purple striped shorts, and he is wearing magenta flats. On his back, he has small feathered wings followed by his blue guild mark on his right arm. He has make-up on followed by a gold circle and red bead necklace, and some hair on his chin. To clear up any confusion, he is a man. "I hear you got a new girl who beat up a few tough guys."

"Ah, you must be talking about Lucy, our newest recruit. She is a dragon slayer like Natsu, and not only that, but she has a body that won't quit," Makarov answered with a chicken in his hand, and a slight blush on his face.

"You're so naughty!"

"You shouldn't be laughing or making fun of her, Makarov. I heard she works for the council," a man with shades replied. He has dark golden hair, tanned skin, and dark clothing. He is also entering his old age, but relatively is difficult to say so. He wears a typical black wizard hat with a red band with spikes coming out of it. He also wears a red collar with spikes coming out of it as well. He is the Master of the Quatro Cerberus Guild, and his name is Goldmine. "That shouldn't also be your main concern. Your guild may be spirited, but they always go overboard. The council is also worried that some of your members might end up destroying a city."

Makarov became slightly surprised at what he learned. Lucy is a member of the council, yet didn't mention anything about it. He didn't want to believe it, but it would make sense. However, he is not worried. He knows that Lucy wouldn't dare to rat them out. Not when she wanted to join for a long time because of Erza. He chuckled before making a snarky comment about Lucy's body as reactions followed.

Moments later, a small blue bird with black wizard hat comes in with a letter in hand. Chirping out loud Makarov's name. The bird drops the letter in Makarov's hand before leaving. Makarov thanks the bird, and starts to unseal the letter by a few finger gestures. The letter draws out a small magic circle before showing a smiling Mirajane. She greets the Master, and Makarov ushers the rest to hurdle around him to eye Mirajane's body. A few flattering comments come out before going quiet for her to continue.

"Master, you wouldn't believe it! History has been made! Erza, Lucy, Natsu, and Gray have all teamed up. An interesting pairing, but I think they formed the strongest team in all of Fairy Tail!" Mira keeps chatting and screaming, but Makarov lost all the color on his face. His body goes limp as he processes what he hears from her. That's when he falls on his back, muttering out how the new team could actually destroy a city, and silently prays nothing major occurs before he returns.

Natsu's POV

Happy and I are flying at mach speed to catch up to Erigor. With adding the flames to my feet as Happy carries me, we are going even faster. A few minutes later, I spot my target flying, and muttering something before I called out to him in full fury. He turns his head with absolute shock to learn of my presence. Happy flies even faster before I use the flames of my feet to hit Erigor of course as Happy lets me go and falls. I land before him, giving me enough time to catch my exhausted buddy. I make sure he is all right before giving my attention to my target. No one gets away with hurting Gramps and lives.

"You're one of those Fairy Tail flies. What are you doing here?" Erigor asks as he recovers from his fall. In response, I make two fireballs in my hands with a smirk on my face. Like hell I'll let him pass me. Not only that, but this is the best way to beat up the sucker, and no one is getting in my way. He is the closest person I have to wanting to fight my own teammates.

"I'm gonna burn you and that flute to a crisp!" I yell out in frustration.

"You managed to break out of my wind barrier. I swear you flies can be such a nuisance. Here's a word of advice kid, get of my way before force you to." He didn't let me respond as he sent a gust of wind in my direction, blowing out my fire. I struggle against it before it overpowers me. Luckily, I quickly ignited my feet, sending me to the sky before coming down to where he is with my fists lit up. He dodges back, letting me hit the tracks instead. I swiftly lunge at him with my fists, but he blocks me with his scythe before he flies back up and away. Landing on the ground, I mock him for flying and, leaving me on the ground.

He replies something back before using his magic once more, however, it was different from his last attack. A tornado of wind summons beneath me, and reaches high into the sky, leaving me defenseless. The circling winds start spinning me with its same pattern before reaching the top slightly before shooting me out. Diving head first into the canyon, my body hits several rocks with tremendous pain. I apologize to Gramps for failing before my mind strikes with a memory.

I remember this one very clearly. Macao uses magic called Purple Flare in which he commands the fire to do what he wishes instead of burning it like my flames. He explained to me that I had to wish deep within my heart to make fire command to me. I never understood what he meant until now. I quickly put my right fist out, turning towards the sky, and I light it before wishing it would become a grappling hook for me to jump to tracks on. Just like that it works, the fire bursts out into a hand-like structure before shooting towards the sky. I feel it grab something, allowing me to use the fire on my feet to jump into the air.

I jump high into the air before landing on the tracks feeling proud of my discovery. My buddy is relieved that I am alive while Erigor scowls at me. Clenching my fists, I look at Erigor before taunting him. "You look cold up there, half naked. Want me to warm you up?" He mutters something, but I don't care. I pound my fists together, and yell out. "Fire Dragon: Roar!" I use my hands as a tunnel for me to carry out my roar of flames towards him. He uses a defense spell to stop my attack, leaving it with just smoke. He looks at me with agitation as I smirk at him.

"Your powers are impressive indeed. I must say this might prove to be a little challenging. However, I think we should stop playing cat and mouse, and become serious." He challenges me with a grim and evil look on his face.

"Ready when you are!" That's when he shouts out 'Storm Mail' as a gust of howling wind surrounds him. I charge at him with my lit up fist, only to be knocked away.

"What's wrong? Can't handle the breeze?"

"You just had to go to wrap yourself in a wind barrier."I smirk at him before charging." That doesn't matter!"-lighting up my right fist-"This should finish you off! Fire Dragon: Iron Fist!" My fist meets with his left before my fire is blown out by his wind, leaving me with shock. I mutter something before he comments about my flames. I deny it, but in return his wind gets stronger, and pushes me away.

"Unfortunately for you, the power of my Storm Mail attack allows my wind to flow outwards. Get too close to me, and your fire is gone!" I deny it once more before he rises up in the air once again. The wind starts spreading all over, and blowing fast, leaving me to struggle against its power. He makes a comment again, but I choose to ignore it. If I am being honest right now then I'd say I'm inside a typhoon right now.

He then uses something called 'Storm Shreds', and a bunch of wind sliced attacks come at me. I jump into the air with my magic while doing both left and right to the attack before nearing him. I near him with my flames, only for it to be blown out quickly by the wind, tumbling roughly towards the tracks. I crouch feeling agitated that my flames are nothing to this moron. He notices, and starts to tease me again. "Don't worry my boy, I'll do this quick for you. My Soaring Phoenix Magic rips everything into shreds"-getting into a 'T' position-"Emera Barem!"

Five magic circles come out with four circling the fifth one which is in the middle. Happy yells at me to watch out as it turns out the magic is definitely powerful. That's when a tsunami-like wind comes charging at me, leaving me to take the attack full on. It hit my body as I knocked backwards, facing the ground. That hurt like hell, and I can barely feel my body after that. But I'm not going to give up that easy when so much is already on the line.

Erigor continues to mock me, but I don't give a damn anymore. Anger flushes my body as I stand up, removing my vest, leaving me half naked. Shock overwhelms when he sees me standing up, furious with my fists lit up. I charge at him once more, only to be moved away. Performing a backflip in mid-air, I land on my feet to a point of frustration. I grab ahold of whatever is left of the track, and tighten my grip on the hit. I let my body become into flames as I let out my anger and frustrations.

I yell out louder and louder, becoming even angrier than before to finish off this idiot. His wind keeps putting out my fire, and overpowering me. I will not let him win any longer! I don't even notice that my flames start to spread around everywhere as the winds slowly die down. Becoming infuriated, I rip apart a single piece of metal with my bare hands. I slowly start to notice that the winds are starting to move towards me. That's when I hear Happy call out to me. "Hey Natsu, you stink. You should totally leave this to Gray!"

Shocks rips apart my body as I hear Happy speak those words to me. When the shock dies down, I let myself become a roaring monster. I will never ever let Gray Fullbuster handle one of my battles when I am capable of handling my own. I notice that Erigor's winds die out, and I have no idea how, but I only know that my flames were the cause. Now it is time for the final blow. As my fire reaches a boiling point. I lunge at him. My head hits his stomach at a dangerous speed as I hear him gasp out in shock and pain. "Fire Dragon: Sword Horn!" I yell out. Settling down my left foot for only a moment, his body comes forward from the attack, and I take advantage of that as I send my right leg into his stomach. In the split second he goes up, I redirect my body, and use my left foot to send him flying into the air.

He lands face first into the tracks, fully unconscious with burns all around his body. I stand proudly before him while questioning Happy about my performance. He cheers and compliments before I question him for doubting me. We exchange a few words before I smile, knowing that I still won in the end. Little did I know, Lullaby landed on the ground with purple glowing eyes. I hear my name being called, and turn to see the others.

Erza is driving the magic car close and stops. An irritable Gray and a green Lucy pops out with an injured Kage. I'm glad they saw it my way not to leave the enemy behind. Gray somehow loses his shirt already, and I notice that even though Lucy looks like she might faint any moment, she wraps her arm around Erza, making sure everything was all right. I smile at them before bragging about how I won, leaving Kage shocked and the others cheering me.

"You had trouble with his guy?" Gray asks, trying to annoy me.

"No way!" I yell back at him with my arms crossed.

"Wearing a scarf half-naked, you look like a pervert now."

"You're no better!" I turn my head away from before turning to Lucy. "Lucy gimme your clothes."

"You wanna die flame-brain!" she yells at me angrily. Everyone laughs for a moment before Erza compliments me, and we all smile. Erza suggests we go to Clover, and pay Gramps a visit to tell him about everything, and ask about the flute. We all agreed before having to dodge the flying car which had shadow hands coming out of it. We all see Kage driving it with Lullaby in the hands of the shadow, and yell at him. Before we could say anything further, he drives off fast, and far for him to hear us. I sigh, knowing we still have to deal with him and the flute. But I am glad we don't have to ride a vehicle.

**Narrator's POV**

As Kage drives down the tracks at vigorous speeds, the day soon falls out, and the night sky rises. Time being of the essence of this whole ordeal, each side races to complete their intended task with the outcome showing clear defeat to one of the sides.

Near Clover, an army of Rune Knights approach the town with great numbers. The knights are wearing a gray head scarf, and a mental covering on the top. The middle of the clothing is a dark blue and yellow striped pattern, going down vertically. Arms are an old shade of gray with a slightly darker shade of gray on the gloves. They also are wearing brown boots that reach up to the knee. They are riding on slightly oversized iguanas that have a metal protection between its nose. The face is covered with straps that are supporting the rider. The saddle is customized with the Fiore.

The knights are also carrying spears, which have a wooden handle while the spear is sharp. The middle of the arrow-like part, is a large blue gem that doesn't interfere with fighting. The arrow-like part is divided into two with the outer a darker shade of gray that connects to the handle. At the ending of the arrow-like figure contains a gold strapping which is then followed by a red skirt-like shape which was made out of cloth. The men are charging north towards the town with determination in their hearts to take down Eisenwald, and stop Lullaby.

Returning back to Kage, he has reached a cliff which overlooks the conference buildings of the masters. He holds Lullaby tightly in his handwhile he gazes upon the building. He feels a smile come upon his face in realization that the plan has been set into motion. Despite his master's loss, he would be sure to continue what they had all set out to do in the first place. He becomes fully entranced in his thoughts that when he hears kissing sounds coming from behind him, he loses his cool posture.

He turns around to see a small old man with an issue of Sorcerer Weekly. The old man looks very flirtatious towards the cover, glancing upon the power, yet gorgeous woman. He is so indulged in it that he fails to notice another person. He makes one more comment about it before starting to head back to the building. Only when he starts walking back, he glances slightly behind him to notice an injured man holding a flute looking confused.

Kage looks at the other person confused and conflicted with the situation. The old man starts to ramble how he was only looking at the magazine for information on female wizards, and nothing else. Kage cuts the rambling, ushering to the person that it was no issue. That is when he looks at the man, realizing that Makarov, leader of the Fairy Tail Guild, is right there. He gets the idea of playing the flute to kill the leader first then the rest. He asks Makarov to play the flute, making up a lie that it wasn't to play at the hospital, and that it is honorable for someone to hear it.

Makarov agrees with suspicion. He comments about the flute, and the man's condition, but ushers the young man to start playing. Kage brings the flute closer to him, but not too close for the air to enter it. He takes a deep breath before stopping hesitantly. He hears the voices of his master and guildmates. Their determination to bring retribution of their reputation. He brings the flute closer again, but stops to hear the voices of Fairy Tail. They look at life differently than anyone he has ever known. He feels his hesitation grow deeper.

At this point, he tries to convince himself once more to play it, but he can't seem to find the strength in doing so. It wasn't that he was weak, but it was that the thoughts of two opposing forces clash his brain.

**Lucy's POV**

We finally get to Clover by running all the way. I am half glad we didn't have to ride a vehicle, but it has its disadvantages. We got to a tiny cliff to see Makarov with Kage who was holding Lullaby. We yelled out for master, but we were stopped by a bald guy. He looks familiar, but also very strange. He tells us to hush up, but the boys and I back up by his presence. He goes closer to the boys to which their response to back away further while I hide behind Erza. I ask who he is in which she tells me that he is Master Bob. _Oh him! How the hell did he become a guild leader?!_

Erza tries to call out to Master again, but is stopped by Goldmine. I met him a while back when I was on a mission. It's good to see him in condition over the years. I approach and greet him which everyone looks at me crazy. I don't blame them, but a lot can happen in eight years. "How's the guild?" I ask, making conversation.

"Better, but rowdy. Though I suggest you shut up because you and your friends will ruin a good part," he commands us. All of us shut up, but I can feel Erza glaring at me murderously. The boys also feel the aura she is emitting, and we back away from her instantly. I don't know what her deal is, but I want to live rather than die.

That's when we notice the Master giving a lecture. Kage listens intently to it before dropping the flute, and surrendering. We all cheer, and run to Master with smiles. He scolds us for being in Clover, but is cut off when his body is forcefully shoved into Erza's armor as she hugs him strongly. We all scatter around, and I kneel beside Kage to make sure he is fine because of what happened and injuries.

We were so caught up in the victory that we failed to notice Lullaby. That's when the demon within it, starts to talk and glow. Shock was written on all our faces from what just happened, and my heart started to speed up slightly faster. The last time I heard the name, and saw what it looks like in it's true form was from six months ago. Erza notices my fear cripping into me, and grips my hand tightly as reassurance. I smile at her brightly for even becoming fearful before that is replaced with a smirk. Nothing better than to beat the demon into extermination. A gigantic magic circle appears in the sky with purple lightning and smoke. That's when Lullaby sets foot upon the ground. The beast looks like a tree monster with holes in its abdomen, and three purple glowing eyes on its head. The head looks like spiky hair that is covered with gel to make it go backwards with it hanging out at the end. It is hunched over with several wooden spikes coming out of its arms and back. Not to mention it's mouth is wide open, and is a giant.

I notice the Guild Masters running out of the building, away from Lullaby as fast as possible. The voice of the demon sounded like a woman with a horrible gruffy morning voice. It is beyond me to understand why Zeref created it like this, but then again he has several other demons just like this. His speciality is living black magic. The others start asking about its form, and Goldmine explains it to them. Lullaby comes closer to us while we get into battle position. It mocks continuously for our failed efforts, but we just stay silent. This moron will be the death of us one day. Erza orders the boys to get everyone to a safe location to which they complain. Only to obey the command when a murderous glare reaches them.

I stand beside Erza while glaring at the demon for even thinking of eating us. The only thing it will even think about is how much pain it will be in by the time we rough it shape. Lullaby hears the Fiore army that arrived, and blasted a giant ball of energy towards a mountain in their direction. The light from the attack not only blinded us, but threw us back a bit. That's when I hear the army backing away before Lullaby gathers its attention to us. We stare at it before I start smirking. Erza summons two swords into her arm, and waits a second for us to attack her. She lunges forward, and into the sky with us following behind.

Lullaby then yells out a powerful sound, getting ready to attack. We didn't mind it much and continued. Erza requips into her Heaven's Wheel armor, and slashes the beast in the left part of the chest, pushing her to the side for us to attack. Gray lands on the ground, and punches his left fist into the palm of his right hand, creating ice lances, which attacked its chest. Screaming out in pain, Natsu and I follow with our fists lit up in magic. He uses his fist to punch the left cheek while I use my fist to punch the right side of its ribcage. The demon falls back tremendously from our attacks, but still is standing.

Natsu punched its chest followed by Gray using his lances to attack the feet. Erza and I took each arm, and punched it harshly. Combining the attack which was done at once, Lullaby got pushed back more, and we landed on the ground. We didn't stand on it long before jumping into the air to dodge the swipe of the demon's arm which destroyed the place we stood on. Erza then slashed its left leg before landing on the ground. Gray followed by using a bow of ice as shards of ice violently attack the feet. Natsu and I once again used our wing attack to strike the chest with a devastating blow, creating a massive ball of light. We all landed on the ground when we noticed that Lullaby arches its back, and draws its head backward.

The magic circle in the sky disappeared as a loud screeching sound took its place. Lullaby was ready to use its song to kill us all, but I don't think it can. With all the holes it has in its body, it'll be an embarrassing site, but I'll let it humiliate itself before we finish it off. It takes in the energy of the life around it, killing the natural environment before it releases a loud howl, starting to sing. Only when the notes of the song come out of the holes in its body. I start laughing uncontrollably, causing Erza to glare at me to shut up, but I don't even care. She comes closer to me, and bangs me on the head, instantly shutting me up. I growl at her to which she just smirks, growling even more at her.

Lullaby looks completely in shock at what happened, and Happy and I mock it. The shock wears off, and it kicks a random mountain in frustration before its eyes glowed toward the people. Gray ran over in time to create an ice shield, protecting the people from the fire that it shot out of its eyes. The blistering fire surrounded the area, but I stopped caring, and started looking at the sky. The moon is up high, shining bright with its stars. Nothing better than the energy it was giving. I started eating the star energy as I noticed Natsu eating the fire. We both finish up eating our elements before Lullaby punched with its arms in our direction. We both climbed, and ran up each arm before leaping into the air.

Erza requipped again into a different armor. It has black wings of a bat, and the rest of the armor is black with several silver markings. The shoulders have parts of armor as well as the arms and legs, and her hips, which are not stuck to it, but parts slightly from it. Her middle part of the armor is completely exposed in which her breasts were shown with her bra on. Her abdomen is showing off her silky skin, and her underwear is showing. Something in my stomach twists when I see her in that armor. I'm probably crazy, but who knows. I hear the men swoon over her, making me frown. They are saying that the armor amplifies the attack even more. She slashes Lullaby shoulder, flying away from it. Gray makes a saucer, sending it to the left kidney, shattering it completely. Both of them call out to us to finish it off.

Natsu starts gathering both his hands in flames creating a big fireball while pounding both of the sides of my hands together with my palms showing out towards the demon. This attack is particularly powerful because I'm concentrating the energy into a massive beam of like massive ball of energy, but this time a laser.

"Fire Dragon: Brilliant Flame!" Natsu yells out.

"Celestial Dragon: Shattering Beam!" I yell out, and both of the attacks combine into one, and hit face and chest in one. A beam of light is shot into the sky as Lullaby dismantles from our attack. Small particles come out in the air as the demon completely disappeared into thin air. We all come near each other as the smoke clears with a firm look. I hear everyone compliment us while I sigh out in relief. _Taking out a demon from the books of Zeref seemed easy, but I have a feeling that this is just the beginning. _Master and Happy come over to us, and we all share a laugh about how easy it was to beat it. Erza requips back into her normal armor, and swings her left over my shoulder, bringing me close, but not enough to hurt me. She smiles at me, and I give her one of my toothy grins she is extremely fond of. I see her blush and move her face away while I laugh at her. Next thing I know, a metal fist contacts my stomach, and I fall on the ground grunting. Everyone else laughs while I glare at her. The laughter ends when we all turn around to see a massive hole in the ground where the conference building was.

I see Master's soul leave his body, and I become pale. The council won't let me hear the last of this even with Siegrain and Ultear's help. Top that with both of their lectures about not seeing them for a few months, and I might as well be in hell. The angry crowd wasn't happy with our performance, and I saw Erza chasing Makarov's soul, begging to be forgiven. We all started running away with me carrying our Master on my back. I can't help but smile like a kid. I haven't had this much fun since I met Erza, Jellal, and Wendy. It brings back so many memories that I wish I could cry. I look back to see Erza smile at me, probably thinking the same thing. This sounds like the beginning of an awesome adventure.

**So the First Arc is over, and we move onto Galuna. I already have a few ideas for how I'm gonna twist that one. Sorry for changing the writing style halfway through the chapter. I'm still experimenting and this is my first time writing fanfiction. The way I build up their relationship will be slow because I just don't want to rush in with no character development. So if at times if it feels like they're not going to get together then I'm sorry, but that's how it will be. I have a plan as to when they will confess, but it is still far from now because of certain arcs. **

**As the most of you can tell, the story will follow the manga and anime. The story will be long, but I'll try my best to keep it interesting as much as possible. I will be creating my own arcs into this because for the sake of my plot. **

**My upload schedule is currently all over the place because I'm in high school. I'll upload when I can and when I want to write. Don't worry about it discontinuing. All I know there will be some hiatuses, but nothing too major for discontinuation. **

**This story is also on Wattpad as it is slightly ahead, but for the most part it's the same. I'll add the rest of the chapters soon. **

**At the end of chapter, there might or might not be some small notes and maybe some comments to the reviews. I'm super happy for the support I'm getting so far. I didn't think I'd get this much attention so early on, but I'm not complaining. **

**The story will get into some heavy topics soon, and I might change the rating if necessary. There will be NO SEX SCENES. I will write about the making out scenes and before they do the sex, but nothing during it. So, don't worry about that. **

**Thanks for reading the chapter. If you liked it, then do whatever you feel is right. If you have any questions and or problems with the story, feel free to let me know about them. I understand criticism, but please be constructive than downright hate. If you don't like the story, then don't read it. No one is forcing anything.**

**I DON'T OWN FAIRY TAIL OR ITS CHARACTERS AND PLOT APART FROM MY OWN OCS AND ARCS. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO HIRO MASHIMA!**


	7. Chapter 6-Bonds

**Narrator's POV **

"Even though Eisenwald has been defeated, that doesn't solve our problem with the dark guilds which currently numbers as much as the stars in the sky!" One of the members of the council grumbles, annoyed with the current status of the position.

"I agree, but it is a step into taking them down. We must find an efficient method of taking them down before it's too late," another member speaks reasonably.

"What I'd like to know, is how did Eisenwald get their hands on Lullaby in the first place. If memory serves right, the seal should've been powerful enough to contain it!" a grumpy old man exclaims. Frustration runs throughout his body as the situation before him unwraps into a pointless discussion.

"That doesn't matter now. We will seal Lullaby away better, and make sure it is never seen in the light of day." Discussions of the weapon flow throughout the room. A few already begin to lose arguments about solutions to the problem whilst others remain quiet.

"This doesn't matter any longer. In the end, no matter how annoying they come to be, Fairy Tail saved the Guild Master, and we didn't have to lose our positions," Siegrain says rather smugly. He feels as though this discussion will take a turn for the better if he plays his cards right. He admits that seeing the old fools waste the rest of theirs arguing about childishness matters, amuses him greatly. He remembers swiftly that a particular blond has not shown up in a bit of time. Even though she is a capable wizard, he can't help but worry.

"You're defending those nut-jobs?!" a member scowls at him. The angry atmosphere continues to rain down in the room. More arguments seethe in as Siegrain sighs. He figures it's time to end this before he gets a headache later on. Though he looks forward to tomorrow, he rather feels the need to relax in the peace than in some rowdy-like bar place, which is the council.

"If you're greatly concerned about their acts, why don't we punish them slightly. Miss Heartfilia hasn't shown up since her last mission, so why don't we lure her in a bit with another member whilst putting pressure on that member for the destruction," he explains calmly, in hopes of getting back from a war.

"And what exactly is this punishment?" a woman named Ultear asks sweetly. Her presence in the room is nothing more than silence. Listening to the nonsense, she flees to her mind in search of some peace. The mention of Heartfilia brings her back to the room. "I'm rather curious for what you have in mind," she says a little to innocently.

"Well, since the actions of Fairy Tail can't be ignored, why don't we set up a trial for property damage. We don't necessarily punish them, but give them a reminder to be rather careful with how they deal with missions. This however, is a setup to get Miss Heartfilia to meet with us. There is a particular mission that has been posted for some time, but it has gone ignored. I suggest she take the mission while we reprimand her guild for the destruction," Siegrain states. This idea is just to make sure that Lucy is fine, and meet up with her. _Killing two birds with one stone. This certainly is a good plan._

The room silences itself as the members begin to ponder about the suggestion. Several factors would certainly play favorable for them, and the rest of Fiore. Mutters spread like wildfire before shutting up. "I believe that Siegrain has a good idea. I agree," Ultear declares in determination. Soon enough, every member agrees in unison with the idea, and sets up the trial and person for tomorrow. They all leave the room, and the two youngest members head toward a corridor to speak a few words.

"Those grumps will never get anything done if they argue like children," Siegrain mutters angrily. As much as he loves his position and title, it is sometimes too much with arguments.

"Y'know you can talk like a normal person than those farts," Ultear says teasingly. She is also at her wits end with the council, but she doesn't let that bother her too much to take up her thoughts.

"I guess. Excited to see Lucy again," he questions her with curiosity dancing in his jaded eyes.

"She betta' have a good reason for not showin' up for a few months, or she is really getting it this time. She got lucky 'cause of those damn injuries. 'Bout that, did you find someone to heal that ugly scar she got?" Ultear questions. As mad as she at her friend's recklessness, she is simply wants what is best for Lucy.

"Yep, told 'em to show up at our spot. Our little plan is coming along well. Soon enough this building up in flames." He smirks devilishly. The idea excites him greatly, that the authority and power, will crumble into the ground along with the members.

"Tell me about it. Sadly we have to wait an eternity for it." She pouts, but smiles swiftly. They glance at each other with smiles and happiness. "I just Lucy doesn't get caught up in the trouble. I really think of her as my lil' sis'." Ultear immerses herself in some pity.

"Don't worry, we will try our best to keep her away from this," Siegrain reassures his friend. They talk for a few more minutes before parting ways. Siegrain disappears into the large hallway as his real body resides in the Tower Of Heaven. The name Siegrain is a sham as well as the fact that he is twin of Jellal Fernandez. In fact, they're both the same person. The only person who knows about this, is Ultear. After all, they both have a mission to fill.

As he returns to his real body, he feels an overwhelming amount of magic and comfort return. He begins to think how much longer it will be before he can activate the R-system. After how far he comes, in the end it'll be worth it. For him, but mainly for his lord, who will create a new world. "Erza Scarlet, how long do you think your limited freedom will last? After all, I am the man who gave it to you. I own you, but not only that, you have some people to apologize for leaving them behind," he speaks aloud to no one in particular.

* * *

**Erza's POV**

After coming back from our adventure, we finally managed to relax. Well the boys have for the most part. I'm killing the daylights out of Lucy's soul with my questioning and requests. It's been so long that I'm leaping with joy with her here. I spent way too many nights wishing she was there with me, but I don't have to anymore.

Right now, we are in her room having a sleepover. She went to take a bath before we started our night of fun. I have the idea of asking her to become my roommate because we are close with each other, even though we haven't talked to each other in seven years. With this way, we can get closer, and get to know each other more. I might take her on a few S-Class quests, so it wouldn't be so boring. I love my guild, but sometimes it would be nice to have someone with me to go on missions with.

I am snapped out of my thoughts when Lucy comes out, still wearing her scarf. "Hey, can I ask you something?" I ask anxiously. She could easily reject my request, but I hope she accepts.

"What's up?," she responds. I can tell she is eager to know what I have in mind.

"Well since your room is basically right next to mine, why don't we move in together as roommates? You don't have to worry about rent. With all the jobs I've gone on, I'm covered," I explain to her. She looks slightly shocked, but that wears off quickly. She nods rapidly while crushing me in a hug. I remember when we used to have ridiculous pillow fights before bed. We completely forgot everything around, and how much we had fun.

"You pay ya' part of the rent while I pay mine. I'm actually quite rich," Lucy says confidently. I look at her suspiciously while urging her to continue. "Well, after I ran away, I started working for the council. I take on small jobs they give me, and I get to keep the rewards and money," she explains calmly. I am a bit shocked, but I smile at her. She is quick to learn how to survive without the need of others.

"Deal. So, who do you know on the council?" I question curiously. She takes a big breath before answering me. I have a feeling I won't like what I hear.

"Siegrain and Ultear. I have a feeling you know Siegrain, and honestly I don't trust them entirely because I have a feeling both of them are hiding something. The real reason I'm close to them is to find out if Siegrain has made any contact with Jellal," she responds heavily. My heart just leaps over a mountain. I have a particular dislike for Siegrain, mainly for his relation with Jellal. I ran into Siegrain a few times when I was in the council and each time, he threatened to keep the secret from getting out. "I hope you're not mad at me," Lucy mutters as she looks at the ground.

"I'm not mad at you Luce." I smile at her while she looks at me confusingly. "I could never be mad at you. You saved my life and became my best friend at such a time. You'll always be a special person to me for the rest of my life. Besides, we made a promise to be together for the rest of our lives." She pulls me into a hug. "We will go on more adventures together. With or without Fairy Tail, we stay together forever."

"Always. You're my best friend. I promise to you to make you smile," she says with a smile. I start to tear up slightly, "Also, what's with Luce?"

"Well it's my nickname for you. Don't you like it?" I pout because I trick her into subjecting my nickname for her. I laugh and her aura changes. She grabs a pillow and smacks it across my face. I look at her in disbelief before picking one of my own and repeat the same action. Soon enough we are in a huge pillow fight while laughing our souls out. I miss this feeling of joy. I am happy being in the guild, but I always felt alive with Lucy.

I always wore armor to protect myself from everyone, and to keep my feelings in lock. I slowly made friends and even a rival, and slowly my heart started to heal. But there was a crack that Lucy always managed to fill. A spot that was once broken by Jellal, was healed by Lucy. She changed over the years, but she is the same person I met in the forest that day. She may be a happy and strong person, but away from the spotlight, she is a girl that seeks love. I made a promise the day we left that I'd bring her love and happiness when we meet again.

"Luce, how come you hide your left arm?" I question her. It has been bothering me since the start of the mission.

"Well to hide a particularly huge scar I got," she responds.

"Well what happened? Maybe we can find a way to get rid of it somehow." I look at her with concern and curiosity.

"Short version. I spent six months looking for Celeste after running away. I found a guy that looked like he knew, but I was wrong. He was planning on hurting some innocent lives, so I followed him, and turned out that he was doin' some stuff about Zeref. I learned everything about Zeref to capture this dim-wit. I did, but almost died doin' so. He gave me a nasty scar," she explains. I scold her for her reckless actions, but I am glad that she is alive in the end.

"Now that is out of the way, shall we head for bed? Also are you coming for the match tomorrow?" I ask her.

"Hmm probs' not. I gotta go to the council tomorrow to report. That and I need to find somethin' to bribe two idiots," she sheepishly responds. We lay down on the bed while facing away from each other. I fell asleep fast and happily for the first time in years. Little did I know, I snuggle close to Lucy and end up hugging her.

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

After an awkward morning with Erza that I probably would never bring up ever again, I make my way to the guild. I decide I'm going to take a small solo mission in the next town, so I can get some stuff to bribe my two friends. It's early in the morning, but I need to do this now, so I don't have anyone on my tail for a small time being.

I walk in the guild to see Mira at the bar, cleaning some glasses and plates. I make my way over to her for a milkshake and greetings. I explain my small plan, but not the council part. She hands me my order, and I head up to the request board. There are a few monster and bandit missions near Magnolia, but not the one I'm looking for. That's when I notice lost 'n find mission in FallsWave Town._ Perfect! It has the two gems I'm lookin' for. Just my day! _

I snatch the mission, and take it over to Mira when I notice Master in front of me. He requests me to go to his office, and I agree. We head up the stairs and sit in the office. "Lucy, is it true you work for the council?" he inquires. I nod sheepishly while giving him an awkward smile. I don't know what he wants from me. "Relax child. I'm just wondering if you could help with keeping them off my back when the brats destroy too much."

I agree immediately because I do the same thing with destruction. I tell the Master of my plans, and he tells me to come back after the mission, so he can give me some papers for the council. I head out for the mission when I notice the peacefulness of the day. The sun is shining brightly, and the birds are chirping happily. I smile before making my way to the train. I'll never look at transportation with the same respect I have for nature. I board the train and take my seat. The train sets off, and my whole body goes limp. Luckily, it's just a short ride.

The mission was a good simple one as I predicted. The reward was a blood-red gem and a sapphire gem. Ultear loves red to death, and Siegrain's blue hair makes sense. As I make my way to the guild, I can't help but wonder who won between Erza and Natsu. He is powerful, but I don't think he is near Erza's level yet. She has years of experience, plus she is S-class.

I sigh slowly as I let the sun's warmth bathe me. I remember when Celeste taught me to eat the star's energy. It was hard at first, but when I felt connected to the stars itself, I managed to consume it. I smile at the memory while I notice how silent the area around the guild is. _Did Erza beat up Natsu that fast? No way! He would've put up more of a fight than that!_

I open the guild doors and notice the gloomy atmosphere. It feels like I just waltzed into a funeral except no one is dead. I slowly approach the Master in hopes of answers. I near the bar and see a small lizard with a scaled scarf, trapped under a glass. "Um..Master what happened?" I ask hesitantly. That's when I notice Erza isn't around anywhere.

"Well, we had the fight, but the council showed up. They said that Erza is under arrest for eleven counts of property damage for the Oshibana incident," he says in disappointment while taking out a letter. "This is a letter from the council. They said to give to you as soon as you came back, and to meet them." He hands me the letter. Eyeing it quickly, I take it swiftly and open it.

_Dear Lucy Heartfilia,_

_We have sent this letter to address a few issues that have come up in your concern. If you are reading this letter then you must have heard that we have your guild mate, Erza Scarlet, under arrest for public property destruction. To ease your worries, the trial is a simple show for the rest of Fiore. An example for what would happen if anyone should break the rules. _

_ The real reason for this letter is to speak about your previous mission and a new mission that we would be sending you. If you wish, you can take anyone with you. We hope you show soon as the matter is quite urgent._

_Salutations_

_The Magic Council_

I clench the paper tightly. I'm not an idiot to realize that they could've put the blame on me, but they go ahead and do it to Erza. This is their way of getting my attention and guaranteeing my appearance. I notice that everyone is staring at me with anticipation for an answer. I sigh before answering. "Well, the council wants me to talk to them for some stuff." I do not want to give out too much before I know what the council really wants.

Everyone goes back to mopping while Natsu is battering me questions. I ignore him and focus on the Master. He looks deep in thought before he looks at me. "Did the letter mention anything about Erza?" he asks worriedly. I nod before he sighs. "Well whatever it is, make sure she is fine. Go ahead meet up with those dunderheads. Also take the papers I asked you this morning." He pulls it out, and I take my leave.

The situation is too quiet, especially since Natsu's magical presence feels off. I glance at him once more when I realize it too late. I run out of the building at lightning speed, and I can hear everyone calling my name, but I pay no heed to them. Luckily the Fiore Department of the Council is close by, so I can easily run to it. I just hope I am not too late in catching up to Natsu. If that moron does anything idiotic, I will not be able to escape the lectures.

* * *

**Erza's POV**

After my little encounter with Siegrain, I am being led down to the courtroom. I can only imagine what Lucy will say about this. She already has it bad with them and now doesn't even begin to comprehend what'll happen. I sigh as the frog lady looks at me confusingly, but doesn't utter a single word. The fight between Natsu and I was starting to get interesting, if it hadn't been for the council. He has greatly improved over the years, but still needs a little more training to beat me. I wonder what it will be like when Lucy and I fight. It has been a while, and I have gotten stronger.

I'm brought out of my thoughts as the lady opens the door to the room. The courtroom is huge with all its marble walls and black and white-checkered tiles. The middle of the room is the stand for the defenders while ahead of it, is where the council resides. Three layers of wood and chairs with the top having one seat, second with a few, and the last with three. All council members are present, but in projection. I take a step forward to the stand in handcuffs. All of them are looking quite annoyed with the situation, except Siegrain, who looks amused.

"Erza Scarlet, please take the stand. This trial has just begun," an old man with a huge wizard hat says. He is sitting at the top of the three layers with black clothing. I follow his instructions, and the frog lady leaves. I stare at each one of them with no emotions as I begin to wait to hear my charges. I just hope Lucy does not get the blame for some this. I already know Master does, but I can only imagine Lucy's. "Erza Scarlet, you stand before the council to answer for the mishaps during the Oshibana incident. These damages include severe destruction to Oshibana station, Ryusika Gorge railway, and the complete destruction of the Clover conference hall. You have eleven counts of property damage against your name. Eyewitnesses recount a heavily armored female wizard."

As he finishes saying that, an explosion goes off behind me. Everyone waits for the smoke to clear to see Natsu, dressed up as me. I look at him bewildered, but I give up on trying to scold him now. The trial is a simple display for public actions, but this pyro-head just ruined that all together. If Lucy was not worse then, now does not compare. "I am the crazy lady in armor ya' old-timers have been lookin' for! If you have a problem with how my guild runs things then you can fight me!" Natsu yells out. He proceeds to next start destroying the courtroom with his magic while parading around as me.

"I am the all powerful Erza!" He yells once again, and destroys even more stuff. At this point, my pride flushes itself down the drain. As he is about to destroy another piece of the room, a fist hits his head, and he's out cold. I look to see Lucy just as embarrassed and annoyed as I am with Natsu's behavior.

"Ah, Miss Lucy. I see you've finally come to join us," the old man from before says. She growls in a very menacing tone, but doesn't say anything. "You can calm down. We haven't done anything bad to either of your friends. However, the poser has destroyed the courtroom, who is from your guild," he says rather calmly. Lucy looks even angrier than before, but I touch her arm, and she calms down slightly to talk.

"I'll pay for the damage with my money. Just let 'em go. Why didn't ya' put the charges on me?" she asks.

"You're not dumb as you come off. It's true we could've, but we needed you to come soon, so this was the only simple solution." Lucy looks like she is about to break something her before I hold her hand. She looks at confused before sighing heavily. I give her a small smile, and she smiles herself. She looks back the council for some answers. "We will release Miss Scarlet and your friend from prison as soon as you are done with your debriefing," he states. Lucy nods as a few guards come to take Natsu and I away. Lucy gives me one of her smiles as a reassurance that nothing bad will happen. I give her a small smile in return.

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

After they take my friends away, I'm greeted by two others, who show me to a room. I follow them in silence while not having full attention to what is going on. I just hope my friends will be fine, though Natsu might not. We enter a room, and I take my seat in a chair while a guy with a funny looking bandanna looks at me. The room is small and secluded with just bare walls and floors. As a single light is lit up, we start the debriefing. I tell him everything I know and after what it feels like hours, I am let go.

I raced out of the room to be greeted by Siegrain and Ultear. They have been my good friends for the past two years, but I don't trust them entirely. They look shady and always seem to think about something. They hate the council as much as I do, but don't complain about it. They smile at me, and I take out my bag to hand them the gems. They take it while stars in their eyes. Ultear tackles me in a hug while Siegrain places a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you for the gift. We also have one to give you too," he tells me.

I follow them out the building to notice how late it is. It really did take hours, which sucks. They lead me to our spot near the department when I notice a guy with green hair waving at us. The night sky is peaceful as a part of the moon is shining. The grass is soft and the wind is slowly swaying. "Who're you?" I question him. We get closer to him for his response.

"Names Ken. Two of yer' pals asked me to heal a nasty scar ya' got," he says wackily. He is quite laid back for a guy, who claims he can heal my scar. He soon explains that a specific type of liquid he has reverses time on a person's body from about anytime the caster deems worthy. The liquid is called Nora-Ve-Reversal, and it is extremely rare to find and obtain. I agree to drinking it, and tell him to reverse my body back to about seven months ago. Luckily, it doesn't affect the memory or else we would be in a pickle.

I drink the funny looking green liquid. It tastes and smells horrible, but push it aside and drink a small portion as he casts the spell. My body grows blue before I notice it stops. I get rid of the cloth that is hiding the scar, to notice it's completely gone. I smile and leap around in joy. Everyone looks at me happily, and I thank and shake Ken's hand to heaven. We talk for a few minutes before we part ways. "Ya' guys are legit' the best!" I exclaim to them in smiles.

"Don't mention it. What are friends for." I give both of them a big hug as we make our way to the cells. I hope Natsu and Erza have fared well. Siegrain directs a guard to me and the cell. I walk with the guard, and I bid farewell to Siegrain and Ultear as they disappear. Those guys are the best, but sadly I don't trust them. I walk with guard to the cell as I notice Natsu with a big lump on his head, and Erza looking at me with a small smile. The guard opens the cell, and they get out. I thank the woman, as I leave with my friends.

We make it outside, and Natsu runs at full speed towards Magnolia. I giggle at his childish behavior, and Erza smiles at me. "How was prison?" I ask teasingly with a goofy smile. She glares at me and starts to walk away. "Aw c'mon! Ya' know I was kiddin'. Come back!" I run after her and tackle her to the ground. I take a good look at her. Her beautiful scarlet hair and brown eyes. Small pink lips and gorgeous jawline. She looks like a goddess that men would chase after her. The moonlight shines on her features, and I notice a small blush. "You shouldn't walk away from people, who are talking to you," I tell her.

I get off her, and lend her a hand up. She takes it and stands. "You shouldn't tackle people to ground," she replies angrily. I give her my toothy grins and take her hand. She looks at me lovingly as I take her hand to Magnolia. This reminds me of when I used to do that to her when we were kids. She would never complain about it, and it seems she still doesn't. She looks so beautiful, that I am jealous of a guy like Jellal, ditches her. When I see him, I'll make sure to give him a bashing for making Erza cry. I never want to see her cry ever again.

* * *

After a nice sleep, Erza and I are at the guild. She is eating breakfast while I eat the sunlight that is coming from the window. Nobody looks at me funny because they know why I'm doing that. "So, what did you do with the council yesterday?" Erza asks me. I stop eating the sunlight and answer her. I tell her about the mission and the papers I dropped off. "Are you taking me with you?" she asks deviously. I smile and nod at her.

I get up to talk to Master about my new mission. He is sitting on the bar deep in thought before he opens his eyes to me. "Ah Lucy, what do you want?" he asks.

"Well, the fart-heads gave me a new mission. Somethin' 'bout Galuna Island. I just wanted to tell ya' that Erza and I might go on it together," I respond. His jaw slightly drops.

"Lucy, you do realize that is an S-class mission," he asks in disbelief.

"Nope. This is the first I'm hearin' of it. If they think I can handle it then I probs' can." I smile at him, and he calms down. I go back to sitting next to Erza as I notice Natsu, spitting out fire from his mouth. He runs around the hall before lighting up his fists and challenging Erza to finish their fight. I see the annoyance written on her face and declines. Natsu being the persistent brat he is, still didn't give in. Erza gets up and punches him accurately in the gut. He drops to the floor clutching his stomach as everyone and I laugh at him.

"You still have ways to go Natsu," she tells him before facing me. "Since it has been a while since we fought, let's duke it out," she boldly declares. Everyone makes a ghostly silence as I smile at her. I get up and crack my knuckles. I am ready to charge at her when I start to feel sleepy. I notice everyone drop to the floor, and my vision blurs. The last thing I see is a man with a cloak and covered face. He also smells familiar.

"Jellal," I mutter out before I pass out. He is not the same Jellal as the one Erza spoke about, but the one I met years ago.

* * *

**Makarov's POV**

Lucy muttered something out before passing out, but I could not get what. Mystogan slowly walks up to the request board, but stops halfway to look at Lucy. I still don't say anything as he kneels down and picks Lucy up in his arms. He stops at the board and picks a mission before coming up to me. "I'll return," he says in a serious tone.

"Wait, why do you have Lucy with you, and does she know what you look like?" I ask frantically. It's not like him to do something spontaneous, let alone take a member away like this.

"Lucy and I are best friends. It's been a while since I've last seen her, so I figure we could catch up. And yes, she knows what I look like. I hope she can keep it a secret," he says calmly. Both my children continue to surprise me. I know Lucy knows a lot of people, but Mystogan, is out of the question.

"Make sure to bring her back soon. She has some people who will get worried for her, especially Erza. And lift the sleeping spell before you leave," I tell him seriously. I can keep the majority of the guild under calm about Lucy's whereabouts, but Erza is a whole different question. Though ever since Lucy joined, Erza has been more lively than usual. Top that with having to challenge someone, which she hasn't done since Mirajane.

Mystogen nods. He fixes how he carries Lucy before walking out, counting down to one to lift the spell. He walks out and closes the door behind him. Everyone slowly wakes up and looks around, cursing Mystogan for putting them to sleep. Erza looks around frantically before coming to me. "Master have you seen Lucy?" she asks impatiently. That is when everyone else notices Lucy's disappearance.

"Mystogen took Lucy with him to catch up. He says they're best friends, and haven't seen each other in years," I reply slowly. Erza looks astonished from several facts I can guess while everyone is the same.

"Does she know who he is, if so, does she know what he looks like?" Erza asks slightly angry with everything. I feel bad for Lucy when she returns.

"From what he told me, she does and hopes she keeps it a secret. Like he said, they know each other." I close my eyes as I feel Erza's anger starting to radiate in several directions. No one dares to speak or go near her as she walks back to her seat while staring at the guild doors. Everyone starts talking about Lucy's connection when a voice calls out.

"Looks like the old man and I aren't the only ones who know what Mystogen looks like," a demanding voice calls from above. I didn't need to look up to know Laxus, my grandson, is in the guild. Though it is shocking he is, considering he is rarely around and always on mission. Everyone nears the bar to get a look at him and talk.

"Laxus you're here. You're never around!" Elfman shouts to him. Everyone agrees and voice their own opinions.

"Mystogan's just shy. Learn to respect his privacy," Laxus comments. That's when Natsu wakes up to challenge him. Gray tries to convince Natsu to stop, but fails. "In your dreams! You can't even beat the red-head, why bother with me." Laxus smirks deviously.

"What are you trying to say?" Erza asks threateningly. Once again, everyone backs away from her.

"I'm saying I'm the most powerful wizard in the guild," he says with some dramatic flare. Natsu challenges him again to which Laxus tells him to come up. Natsu starts running and almost reaches the stairs when I use my magic to enlarge my left arm to bash him in place.

"Natsu, you know you're not allowed on the second floor. Not yet anyways," I tell him while still keeping him place. He groans, but ignores it.

"The strongest one in the guild isn't some chick or hooded weirdo. If you want to know who it is then you're looking at him!" Laxus yells out. All of Erza's team glares at him while everyone remains silent. Laxus then uses his magic and is gone from the guild. I sigh as I release Natsu. I look at Erza, who goes back to what she was doing before Laxus showed up.

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

I wake up slowly to a grassy plain and the afternoon sky. I straight up jump to my fight before looking around to see a familiar blue-headed person looking at me with a small smile. "Jellal?" I ask. I hope it is the one I know, or else some stuff is going down.

"Lucy, it's been a while. To answer your question, I am Jellal," he smiles greatly at me. I have always admired his smiles since we were kids, and I think he is the one.

"How do I know you're the Jellal I met years ago?" I ask seriously. I would hate to be wrong about who he is.

"Well, I carry around my staff, and I know for a fact you hate it when I talk about what happened in Sherry Town," he says teasingly. I look at him bewildered before I hug him tightly.

"Yer' a dumb fool. I missed you." I let a few tears slip as he hugs me tighter. I'll admit, over the years, he has changed. His voice is much deeper, the appearance of a young man, and he has grown taller and powerful.

"How have you been? Did you find Celeste?" he asks with concern.

"Fine and alive for the most part, but Celeste is still cold."

"Don't worry I'm sure you'll find her. I mean you have my help now."

"You really mean it!"

"Yes, besides we are friends. Speaking of which, how has Wendy been?"

"Well, I haven't seen her since we dropped her off at CaitShelter." I look down at the ground sadly. I miss her with all my heart. Leaving her behind, was just as tough when I left Erza behind. Wendy is my little sister that I could always dream off.

"I'm sure she is fine. Now c'mon tell me what have you been up to in these few years. Last time you said you wanted to find out more about the Heartfilias'."

"I did. When I met Layla Heartfilia, we looked so alike that we could've been sisters! I still have no idea about that or why Celeste gave me that name, but something about Layla smelled familiar."

"Did you know anyone while you were with Celeste?"

"The only people I ever really knew before Celeste, were my birth parents, but they have gone for so long that I gave searching for them. Besides that, I don't really remember what they look like, so even if I were to start searching, I'd be lost."

"Quite a troublesome situation you've found yourself in. No worries. Why don't we forget about the names and focus on finding your dragon and Wendy's."

"Yep, yer' right. So, why wear a hood around all the time?"

"Well, you know how I look similar to a councilman."

"True, it'd be awkward explaining that. So, are you super powerful now? I mean caste a sleeping spell that put everyone to sleep!"

"Powerful? I guess. I mean Master gave me the S-rank position."

"You make it sound like it's nothin'. I can't tell if yer' the dummy or I am."

"It's just powers and a title, Lucy. You better than anyone should know that. I mean you're the one, who beat up several people, to just get that point across."

"Why did you have to be smart?"

"It's just a gift. Now tell, what else have you been up to?"

"Well I work for the council, ran away from the Heartfilia mansion, and joined Fairy Tail. Also speaking of which, don't tell anyone my last name yet. I trust Fairy Tail, but I need to stay away from Jude as much as possible. The only person who knows my last name is Erza, but I think she is gonna be mad at both of us for keeping our connection a secret."

"You have my word. As long as you keep mine." I nod. We spent hours catching up on practically anything. It really felt like we were talking like two people who have known each other for years when in reality, we haven't seen each other for ages. Soon nights starts to fall. "I believe we should get going. I have a job to complete, and you have people waiting up for you at home or the guild," he says seriously.

I sigh. "Yeah, yer' right. We should go on a mission together soon. It'll be like ol' times."

"Indeed we will. I'll keep more in contact with the guild now that you're here. I know you have friends around, but also realize I am one too."

"Oh, I already do pal. You have to realize that!" We laugh and then hug each other one last time before we part. He disappears into the distance I walk back into Magnolia. It has been awhile since I have stayed up this late to see the stars. As much as this proves to be a good distraction, I have to remember that a particular raging bull might kill me when I step inside the room. I just hope she did not blow up the guild or anyone since then. She is really protective when it comes to me. I love her, but it is too much, considering I can handle myself fine.

I slowly step inside into Fairy Hills and head up to the second floor. I walk anxiously down the hallway to my room. Each footstep intensifies every second in the silence. I feel like I'm walking towards my death. I cautiously grip the key as I stand in front of the door. I smell Erza inside with Natsu, which is odd. I slowly put the key to the lock and open it. Erie silence. It's something out of a horror film. I walk inside and close the door behind me.

I punch myself to get my head straight or else I'd be a walking robot. It's not like the world is going to end, so I calm myself down and walk into the living room. I see Natsu unconscious on the ground alongside a furious Erza. I stare directly at Erza with my own serious glance before I see her sigh. "Natsu broke into the apartment, so I knocked him out," she says calmly. I stare at her crazily before sighing myself.

"Ya' might as well just throw him out the window. He'll gain some sense to walk back home," I tell her. She does what I ask and throws him out the window. I hear a groan coming from before I smell him walking away. He is quick to recover, which evidently doesn't shock me. "So are you gonna kill me with yer' stares, or ya' gonna talk."

"That depends. Are you going to tell me how you know him?"

"Three months after we said goodbye, I ran into him and we traveled for a while. After some time we parted ways before I stayed at the mansion."

"I'm guessing you're not going to tell me what he looks like."

"A promise is a promise, Erza. He promised me he won't tell anyone my last name."

"Look, I was mad at you. But, I see it completely unnecessary. I was just worried." She looks at me sadly before changing into some normal clothing and sitting on the couch. "When you first left, it really hurt. Over time, it got better and I started healing. But there were times where I needed you the most, and you were never there. That's when I promised myself that when I see you again, I'd never let you go," she says as if she was ready to cry.

I wrap her in a hug and let her cry on me. "I'm sorry. I never intended to leave you alone. I just wanted what was best. I'm sorry," I say. I let her cry before I got up and reached out my hand for her. I give her a small smile as she looks at me with crystal eyes. She takes it, and I take her to the bedroom. "I'll never leave you again. I promise," I tell her as I let her sit on the bed. She finally smiles, and I decide to tickle her stomach. She bursts out in a fit of laughter as she pleads for me to stop. And that's what we spent the night doing before we went to sleep.

* * *

I wake up first to notice Erza still sleeping, and my arms wrapped around her. I notice her snuggle closer to me as I feel my cheeks heat up. She looks so peaceful and happy. I cannot believe I made her cry, but I need to find a way to make it up to her. I slowly and carefully get out of bed without her waking up and walk into the living room.

I notice Natsu and Happy sitting on the couch, greeting me. I look at them crazily before they explain a job for the three of us. I could probably use the reward money to buy Erza something to make it up to her. I agree, and they tell me to meet them at the outskirts of Magnolia. They leave, and I get ready. I write Erza a note, so she will know where I will be. I place it on the nightstand as her sleeping face looks at me. I notice that she usually has her right eye slightly covered with her bangs.

I meet the boys at the outskirts, and they tell me that we are walking to Hargeon. I ask about the mission, and they say that we are taking a boat to Galuna Island. Apparently the reward is seven million jewels, and they are offering a gate key. I shut out after the gate key and started running towards Hargeon. The other day it took us a long time to reach Magnolia because we hid from the council. We reach Hargeon in about the next hour and near the port. As much as Natsu and I hate taking the boat, it is better than swimming. The name Galuna sounds familiar, but at the time I didn't focus too much on it.

Natsu and I started asking people to take us there, but only ended up with them telling us how cursed the island is. We split up further and ask around more. I keep asking around, but no avail. Natsu calls out to me, and I run over to him with a knocked out Gray in his hand. "I found someone that's gonna take us there," Natsu comments happily.

"That's uh great. Why do you have Gray, passed out in your arms?" I ask intently.

"Ice princess was insulting, so I decided to knock him out. Even though I hate him, he might be able to help us with the quest." Natsu for the first time ever, says something logical. I look at him crazily before smiling. The guy who is willing to give us a ride, tells us to hop aboard on his tiny boat. On the first step, both Natsu and I get sick, but we hold out enough to get stable. Natsu ties up Gray with some ropes from a bag. The man starts paddling the boat, and both Natsu and I fall numb.

I groaned in pain and wished Erza were here. I did not want to leave her behind, but I needed to make it up to her somehow. Plus we have a job from the council we are supposed to go on, but I can't remember what the mission is. After hours, the sun fell and the moon rose. Through my distorted vision, I look at the sky to notice some sort of light coming from ahead. That's when I hear Gray groaning. I face him to be met with a scowl. "You three idiots are toast when we get back to the guild," he tells me.

"Whaddya'..mean?" I ask sickly. Getting off this damn boat should be first priority then the mission.

"Are you that dumb? Natsu stole the S-class for Galuna Island." I shot up to come face to face with him. I completely forgot my motion sickness.

"Natsu stole what?!"

"Ya' heard me. Master ordered me to bring you three back, but Natsu knocked me out when the boat guy said he'd offer a lift to Galuna."

"Master is gonna kill Natsu and Happy. Master already knows I would be going on this quest because of the council, but I'm pretty sure Erza is gonna murder me when she finds out I didn't go on it without her."

"Since did you work for the council!" Gray exclaims in my face. Instantly I felt sick and dropped to the side of the boat. I hear him commenting about the motion sickness, but Happy explains to him how I work for the council. I'm guessing Natsu told Happy. "Hey listen pal, this is all your fault too! You shouldn't have let us board,"Gray tells the boat guy.

"The name's Bobo. If you should know, I used to be a citizen of Galuna Island," Bobo says. I look at him slightly before going back to stare at the sea. I listen intently to what he says next. "I had to flee. I couldn't take it anymore. I should warn you, anyone who steps foot on the island falls under the curse."He then shows us his arm, and I barely see it. The arm is wooden-like with a purple color and claw-like fingers. "Only way to get rid of it, is to get rid of the demonic curse." We comment on it before he tells us we are near.

The light I saw before, was glowing on top of Galuna Island. I try to stand up to get a better view, but ultimately fail. I went back to question Bobo, but he completely disappeared. We get frantic before I look on ahead again. I hear a lot of water coming towards, but mind it off as the ocean. "Uh Lucy!" Gray exclaims. I look behind him to see a massive wave behind us. We all try to scramble for safety, but it is too late as it hit. We dove head first into water, and I feel like I'm going to lose my senses. It doesn't take long until I black out.

* * *

Sunlight hits my face as my vision clears. I slowly get up, careful to fall back. I get a better grip on my legs and my vision is better. I notice that I am on the sand with several trees surrounding me. After the crash, we might've ended up on the shore. I'm glad that we survived, but now the question remains, how do we save the people. Erza will show up soon when Master tells her about Natsu's little plan.

I sigh and start walking. I smell the others and walk faster to find them unconscious and on the sand. I shake them slightly, and they stir up. It takes them a few minutes before they're fully aware of what is going on. "Alright! Let's go explorin'!" Natsu exclaims. We didn't even start the mission, and he already forgot the fact we are on one.

"Natsu, why'd ya' lie 'bout bringin' me on an S-class quest?" I inquire while glare at him. He gulps nervously before apologizing immensely as well as Happy. "Look, you boys are lucky that I'm cleared for this quest, or else we are in deep trouble. Now since you decided to lie, it's only fair you follow my instructions. Am I clear?" They nod before leaping to find something.

"Not so fast," Gray says. We all look at him to continue. "Yer' takin' me with y'all. Even though Lucy might not get murdered by Master, it wouldn't be fair y'all became S-class before me," he states. We all agree for him to join before we go searching for the only village on this island according to Happy. I sigh before engulfing myself in my thoughts. _We might be able to pull this off, but I feel sorry for the boys. Master might not kill or punish me, but I got a demon best friend who might. I just hope she does it after we complete this quest. I wonder what happened to Bobo, and why do people this island so badly?_

* * *

**A bit of filler I know, but it was necessary to get some characterization out of the way. Things will start to pick up after the arc. **

**The next two arcs after Galuna will be important, not because they're directly related to our main characters, but to the plot in general. Also when the adult themes might start kicking in, so warning just ahead of time. **


	8. Chapter 7-Galuna Island

**Lucy's POV**

It takes us the whole day to reach the village. It just had to be on the other side of the island, but the worst part might be the fact that the boys and I are going to die when we return to guild. Master will punish the boys, and Erza will kill me. Thinking about all of this, makes my head hurt. Luckily, we finally get to the village gates. It is certainly huge, reaching up to about 20' or so. "Well, what now?" Gray asks while staring ahead.

"We ask 'em to get us in and help 'em with the problem," I reply to him. Something about this entire mission feels off. It might be the unknown curse that haunts the island, or something else entirely, but I need to keep on high alert. There is a reason why this mission is S-class. "Anyone there?" I ask very loudly.

After a few seconds of silence, no one answers. "Let's burn it!" Natsu suggests while lighting up his fists. I shoot down his idea with glare and a fist to his face. We almost start a fight before someone, on the top of gate, hollers.

"Who goes there?" one of the two men asks loudly.

"My name's Lucy! I'm a member of the council who accepted your village's request. Beside me, my friends from the Fairy Tail are here to help," I reply. I hope he buys the second part.

"How come we didn't know about the guild coming?"

"Uh..it was decided to send a message."

"Show me your emblems." We display it and they let us. The gate slowly opens up to masked individuals. The village is relatively smaller than I thought, but it looks cute. Small huts with small cottage-like buildings. The source of light is old-fashioned torches and the moon light. Old traditional writings on full display around the houses. Everyone is wearing sandy cloaks with covered faces, which is odd. We walk in while Happy makes a stupid comment, which he gets yelled at for.

"I'm the village chief. On behalf of the village, I welcome you. Now with introductions out of the way, there is something you must see," a man with a staff says. He ushers his people to take off the cloaks. They take off their cloaks, and we see the horror of the curse. Their bodies have turned into some soft demonic form while the village chief I presume, has massive side-burns. I bite back a laugh at it and keep a serious face. We take a full gaze on everyone while Natsu makes a comment about the side-burns. "Not that you fool. Everyone on the island has taken on some sort of form of the curse. No living creature has been spared," he explains in regret.

"If you don't mind me asking, but how do you know that this is not some disease?" Gray inquires.

"My boy, we have consulted the best doctors and they said this isn't some sort of disease."-pausing briefly to stare at me-"You see, our symptoms began around a few years ago when the moon started to act strange."

"What do you mean?" I ask quickly. The magical power of the moon is strong and pure, so nothing of should be acting out of order. Unless someone has even more than that. Celeste always explained how the scared bodies of the stars and planets contain pure light energy. No darkness shall bound it, and it removes any darkness it feels.

"Our island has a special place for the moon. Here the moon shines brighter than any other place. Three years ago, the moon's color became purple and our symptoms ran wild," the village chief explains. _None of this makes sense! The moon's energy is pure and sacred. Nothing like a curse of this level should be making it act strange! There isn't something they're not telling us. _

A few seconds later, the moon starts to shine down on the village. Like they said, it is glowing purple. "It really is purple," I mutter quietly. The village head tells us to back up while they transform. This slowly starts to make my brain ache. Something so pure, just does not start acting dark out of nowhere. I start crossing off possibilities of what would cause this and narrow it down to one spell. Though to make sure my theory is right, we have to explore the island tomorrow and reach the top of that freaky light show we saw yesterday.

Slowly, the villager's bodies start shifting into demonic creatures. They scream in agony as they do until they fully shift into demons. All three of us are at a loss of words, but I have to admit the demons look amazing. I always wondered what it would be like to have scales and horns. I feel bad for them. They didn't want this, but have to go through the painful process. "You guys look fantastic!" Natsu comments with a slight blush and stars in his eyes.

"I agree with molten ash. Ya' guys look kinda cool," I chime in. Everyone including Gray and Happy, looks at us in disbelief. I chuckle slightly at them while they mutter among themselves. "Look, I know you don't wanna look like that, but I'm not lyin' when I say y'all look cool."

"Anyways, as you've witnessed, whenever the moon shines down on us, we transform. Now care to tell me that this is a disease. I don't think I have ever witnessed a disease of this caliber," the village head says solemnly. I look around to see everyone crying, and my heart twists. For some reason, it reminds me of when Erza cried in her sleep or when she was terrified of people trying to attack her. I clench my hands tightly while looking at the chief to continue. "When it's morning, we revert back to normal, but there are some who can't. They lost their minds in the madness, and we were forced to kill them."

Our eyes go wide. "But why? They can go back to normal?" Natsu questions in concern.

"We can't. If we wait too long, they can kill us. We tried to put them in cages, but they always break out," the village head explains. He then pulls out a picture of a young man. From what I could see, it looks like the boat guy. " I should know. I was forced to kill my son," he finishes with tears. We gasp when we see the boat guy. Shock ripples my body, if the boat guy is dead then it means his spirit can't rest in peace. "Please lift this curse-" while bowing in tears-"If you don't do it soon then we will all die-" he gets cut off my Natsu.

"We're not gonna let you die!" The chief looks at him in hope. "We promise that we will fix this," Natsu finishes.

"There is one way to lift this curse-" pausing to look at us-" Destroy..destroy the moon! It must be erased from existence!" the village head breathes out. We look at him crazily before he ushers his people to provide us a place to stay. "Please stay out of the moon's light as much as possible," he warns us while we follow a woman with short brown hair to a small house. We settle in the house while she wishes us night.

We go to different parts of the room to settle down while I take a spot by the window. I sigh tiredly. Destroying the moon sounds like mission impossible, but a request is a request. Maybe, there is something revolving around the moon we could destroy to lift the curse. I let my thoughts swirl before Happy ushers me to change for bed. After changing, I go back to my spot, and pick up Happy in lap, who is munching on a fish. "The moon is really purple," Happy says while glancing at it.

I agree with him without a single thought in mind. "Somethin' 'bout this job sounds fishy," Natsu says.

"They really expect us to destroy the moon," Gray comments aloud.

"Well yeah, that's the job we are told to do."

"Seriously ash cloud! What they're askin' is impossible!"

"Pervy flasher! If we back out, we will make Fairy Tail and the council look bad!" We all look at him in agreement. The idiot does have a point. "I wonder how many punches it'll take to knock it out," Natsu ponders.

"Scratch that. How do you even get up there?" I ask curiously.

"Duh! Happy'll take me up." Happy looks at Natsu and rejects the idea.

"We can't destroy the moon directly, but maybe we could do some investigating to find 'another way to lift it,"I suggest hopefully with a hand on my chin. Then, Gray's shirt hits my face. I go up to glare and punch him, but stop when I realize I need this moron for the job in good condition. "Yer' gonna pay for that snow cone. And please don't take off anymore," I mutter at him with a scowl. He strips down to his underwear and falls to the bed. Natsu and Happy follow in suit and knock themselves out.

I turn out the lights and head for my bed. I try to fall asleep, but the stripper and beast snore too loudly. I make a plan to search early tomorrow, so I can get them back for disrupting my sleep. From the looks of things, they aren't early birds.

* * *

"Time to get a move on," I chirp happily. I woke the boys up at six in the morning, and they still haven't gone over the drowsiness. I smirk while they complain about waking up so early. I'm glad I didn't bring my cloak or else I would've regretted it. Lately, I haven't had the need to wear it as before. As if the hole in my heart, is being seemingly replaced by Fairy Tail. Especially by Erza, who always falls asleep in my arms. Something about her in my arms feels right and complete. But at the thought of it, my face heats up. I shake off my thoughts and focus on everything ahead of me.

"Ya' really think destroying the moon will lift the curse?" Natsu asks.

"Don't know man. We all like the moon, but they hate it. Besides, destroying it will cause more problems," Gray answers, looking at Natsu in the eye.

"Ah! Yer' right! Without the moon, the tides would go crazy!"

"Aye, salmon might go extinct! And they're my favorite fish!" Happy comments.

"Would'ya shut up already!" I yell at them. Chatting up destroying the moon, already has me annoyed to no end, but their comments are infuriating. "We got no clue who or what is in the forest, so please keep it down before we get eaten alive."

"What's got ya' worked up?" Gray asks.

"First off, destroying the moon ain't an easy task. Second, the moon's energy is sacred and pure, so a curse like this is impossible," I answer him. They stop slightly and face me.

"How do you know the moon has pure energy?"

"When I was with Celeste, she always told me about the planetary bodies, stars, and the universe. She said they're pure energy that vanquishes any evil they sense. So, it's impossible for something like this to even start a curse. Let alone, something of this level." They take a second to process this in.

"That why yer' so eager to find 'nother solution to not destroyin' the moon?" Gray asks. I sigh heavily before answering him.

"One of the reasons. I feel like the villagers are hiding something from us. I mean if they were eager to find a solution to their problem, wouldn't they have gone searching themselves?"

"You have got a point, but why would they hide if we are trying to help them?"

"Beats me, but we don't know what's really going on here. After we find some answers of our own, we go straight to asking them." They agree before yelling how they can easily destroy the moon. It's like they don't even pay attention to what I say. I sigh in annoyance with everything and follow them in silence.

Loud footsteps run throughout the forest, scaring off any living creature in sight. We stop to look behind us to meet face to face with a giant green rat, who is wearing a maid's uniform. "IT'S HUGE!" we shout at the same time.

"Ice-make: Shield!" Gray summons his shield in front of us to prevent the attack the rat was about ensue. But it is fruitless, the rat huffs out a green dust cloud, which smells disgusting. Natsu passes out from the smell while I barely hold on. He gets up, clutching his nose, and we all make a run for it. We dodge to the left and right a few times, avoiding the gas cloud as much as we can. "Ice-make: Floor!" The ground turns into ice, and the rat slips and falls unconscious.

I breathe out in relief and notice a temple to my right. It looks old and out of date, but might hold some information still. I usher the guys to follow me to it, but they seem too busy beating up the poor rat. I grab them by the collars and head into the temple. I let them go, and we explored around it. Cracked floors, walls, and ceilings while vines grow out of some parts. Judging by the condition, no one has been here for a while. It is enormous from the inside then did from the outside.

There are several moon symbols around the place and one outside the temple. Several cracked pillars and ancient writings run rampant. It isn't shocking to see them considering how Galuna was once called the island of the moon. Natsu ushers us to see a weird crystal, which glowed purple like the moon. We make our way over there before Natsu starts stomping the ground. I tell him to stop quickly, but I'm too late. The floor below us cracks, and we fall deeper into what seemed like a cave.

We land in pain while groaning. "Good job flame brain! Were you tryin' to kill us!?" I yell at him. He doesn't mind and eyes the cave with stars in his eyes. He gets up and starts dancing his way through a tunnel while we call after him. We finally catch up, and he looks in shock at something. We get closer to see a giant creature in a block of ice. It has horns, claws, and looks purely outraged. Dark scales and dead red eyes glaring at us in suspended animation. Deliora, the demon of destruction. A demon from the books of Zeref, which ravaged the northern continent years ago. We all look at it in pure horror before Gray runs up to it and screams in fear.

He keeps muttering and yelling in shock about it. I allow him to calm down to explain what I already know to Natsu. I hear some people coming toward us, and I snatch the boys near some rocks. We hide in time to see two men approaching. One has spiky blue hair and pale skin while the other has slightly longer light brown hair and tan skin. The blue head has ridiculously bushy eyebrows, and I punch myself to refrain from laughing. "The voices seem to be coming from here," the blue one says. He walks forward while continuing to talk. "I hate waking up in the day. Say Toby, did you get exposed to the moon drip? You look pale?"

Toby looks like a dog without a tail and with a normal human body. Not that I am judging his appearance. They soon start to bicker while one word from their conversation seems to strike me. _Moon Drip huh? So I was right 'bout that. But that doesn't make sense to why they would use it, and why it is affecting the villagers. Judging from their appearance, the men look normal. Why would they use such a powerful spell in the first place? Don't tell me to melt Deliora! Are they crazy?!_

"Yuka, Toby. My dear Angelica is hurt," a woman with pink hair and pale skin tells the boys in worry.

"So what Sherry?" Yuka demands. Soon they start bickering, and it's taking all my strength to not knock them out. They seem to be wizards because I can feel magical energy coming from them. Sherry keeps saying something about love while the boys don't give a damn about her. "The intruders are around here."

"This is bad. It's almost time to collect moonlight again as well. If the Cold Emperor were to hear of this, he'd be displeased. I suggest we get rid of them as soon as possible," Sherry comments worriedly. The boys smirk at her idea and begin walking in another direction because of the sound Happy made. they head off, and I thank Happy as we all get out of spots. Those three people aren't from the island as, judging by their scent.

"I say we grab 'em and get some answers," Natsu suggests.

"Not yet pal. Just a little longer," I say to him.

"Man this is getting more complicated. I didn't expect any of this."

" Whaddya' expect from an S-class mission."

"I still can't believe the council gave ya' one."

"If they think I can handle it then I can."

"I still don't get why they want Deliora. Matter of fact, how'd they find it?" Gray questions to no one in particular.

"Beats me. All I know is that a decade ago, it was sealed somewhere in the northern continent by someone named Ur Milkovich," I say. Gray grabs my shoulders and looks at me frantically.

"How do you know that?!"

"Relax. The council has records on it, and I know because of something that happened a few months ago. That's all I know. Care to tell me how you know?" He releases my shoulders to walk towards the demon. He clenches his hands tightly to a point he has ice particles coming out of it.

"I come from the northern continent, where the demon destroyed countless cities, and many lost their lives. The woman who taught me my magic, Ur, sealed away the demon." His anger boils further as the ice slowly begins to take shape. "Listen, we have to take off this Cold Emperor and make sure Deliora never becomes free. I won't allow anyone to tarnish my master's legacy!"

"You sure this the demon your master sealed?" Natsu asks.

"No doubt 'bout it," Gray mutters angrily. He keeps his eyes intently on it while his expression keeps getting angrier. I feel bad for him. One other reason I know about Ur is that her daughter, Ultear, is still alive and works for the council. But the relationship between the two is awful. Mostly for the fact that Ultear believes Ur left and never came back. I'm curious about Gray's and Ur's relationship though, considering how much Gray respects the woman.

"Something's tellin' me that the demon got something to do with the curse," I say suspiciously. Now that my theory fits with everything, all I need to know is why they brought it here in the first place. Moon drip is severely strong that it can destroy most dangerous and powerful spells. I wouldn't be surprised if it can melt Ice Shell, the defense spell holding the demon alive, but frozen.

"I wouldn't be surprised. It's still alive," Gray says. Next thing I know, Natsu gets punched by Gray. I get in between them and calm them before it gets worse. "Keep your flames away from the ice! Am I clear!" I sigh and explain to Gray that probably the most powerful flame spells can melt it. He calms down slightly while Natsu is mad about being punched. "I still don't get why it's here. What could they want with it?"

"I don't know, but there is one thing I do. Moon drip is powerful, and I think it could melt ice.''Gray looks at me in fear and astonishment. "Like I said, it could. But at the same time, it couldn't. We wouldn't know until we see it in action. So, we will have to wait 'til tonight to find out. Please just calm down." He sighs and nods. I go explain to Natsu what Iced Shell is while Gray slumps onto a rock and watches the demon. After I am done explaining, Natsu just falls asleep with Happy, waiting for tonight.

I sit down beside Gray to give him some comfort while I stare at the demon. "When Celeste left you, how did you feel?" Gray asks me. I am slightly taken aback by the question, but recover.

"Well, it felt like I was gonna be abandoned again. I kinda felt guilty for a while, thinking I did somethin' to make her leave." I sigh and close my eyes. "Before I met Celeste, I was abandoned by my parents. They never loved me to begin with, but it still hurt."

"When I was eight, Deliora invaded my hometown. It killed my parents and everyone else while leaving behind pure destruction. Ur found me in the rubble, barely alive. She took me in with another student, Lyon. She taught us magic and kept us warm."

"I'm sorry Gray. It must be hard to be in front of this thing."

"You have no idea. I'm sorry 'bout earlier. I didn't mean to snap at Natsu and you."

"Don't sweat it. I would be pretty mad if someone destroyed Celeste's legacy like that. Probably march up to 'em and beat the daylights out of 'em."

"You said you use Celestial Magic. Who taught you?"

"Layla. After Celeste left, I searched for her for months, but soon I ran into a couple, who adopted me. They took me in and kept me warm for a while. Layla taught me how to use Celestial Magic because of how similar it is to my dragon slaying one. I loved them before Layla died, leaving me with her husband and spirits. I love my spirits, but overtime I started to dislike Layla's husband."

"Can I ask what happened?"

"He prioritized his wealth before me. I was left ignored for the past few years. I trained and studied in order to become stronger to find Celeste. I was lonely for a while before I met a few people on the council, who became my friends. Up until a year ago, I ran away from the man to explore and take on jobs from the council."

"Yer' a runaway?"

"Yep, but I don't regret it. I had to find Celeste and I promised Erza we'd meet one day again and I joined Fairy Tail."

"Erza always talked 'bout you. Never gave a name, but called ya' blondie. Natsu and I grew up hearing stories 'bout you from her. I kinda promised each other we'd fight you when join." I laugh at the comment. He gives out a small smile and continues, "I'm serious. I mean it's not er'day you hear Erza getting her butt handed by someone."

"I guess yer' right. She told me Mira and her used to be rivals."

"Yep. Those two would wreck the guild with their fights. No one could stop them apart from Master. It's kinda odd, but er' since you joined, Erza's changed. Sure she still acts serious and emotionless, but she is a bit warmer and nicer."

"I'm glad. When I left her, I was afraid she'd change so much that I wouldn't recognize her."

"You can relax. She wouldn't talk at first, but I got her to. I'm really grateful she ran into you. You are a special person for her. I've never seen her eyes light up when you're around. She feels different than before, but in a good way. Everyone sees that. She smiles more and lays off more when Natsu and I when we fight."

"I think it is because it reminds her of when we used to do it. I still wanna fight her." We talk for a few hours before we fall asleep. Gray told me more about his childhood with Ur and how Ur sacrificed her life for him. Hearing him talk more about Ur made me realize that maybe Ultear doesn't have the whole story 'bout her life. Maybe, I can find a way to mend her memories of her mother in a positive light.

Hours later, we are woken up to the ground shaking. Soon enough, we see the moon drip spill cast on the demon. I feel hungry, so I think I'm going to eat a bit of it. "Guys, let's go to the top," Gray ushers.

"You three go. Imma' eat some of this and join ya' three soon," I tell them, and they go off. I step closer to the demon and open my mouth to take in the energy. It tastes good and chow as much as I can. When I feel like my magic replenishes to max, I run off to meet the boys at the top. I see them behind a broken pillar, overshadowing a group of covered individuals, who are chanting a ritual for the spell.

There are a few magic circles coming from the moon to the demon in a heavily concentrated manner. My eyes go wide from seeing it and the others notice. "Lucy, what's wrong?" Happy asks.

"I'm sorry to break it to you Gray, but the moon drip can melt through the spell," I say silently.

"What?! How?" He demands with fear and anger.

"Moon drip of this caliber can break through any magic spell. It's heavily concentrated moon energy that can destroy 'bout anything. It also has its side-effects. Exposure to too much of it can damage the body. Curse could easily be the side-effects, but that doesn't explain why demons. Maybe, some ethernano radiance or magic draining, but not this." I massage my temple while thinking this through. Natsu suggests beating up the idiots in front of us, but I elbow him in the face when I see a guy coming.

His face is entirely covered except his mouth. His helmet is silver with black horns coming out of it. The rest of his outfit is boring with the exception of metal boots. He is followed by the three people from earlier. They are discussing the intruders to the mask guy, who they address as the Cold Emperor. "I suggest you go eliminate the village if they're the ones behind it. I don't need anyone getting in my way," the Cold Emperor orders harshly.

We gasp in surprise, considering the villagers are innocent, but they are going to hurt them anyways. The three smirk deviously at the idea. Gray looks to be more in shock, but I can't tell why. Natsu is about hiding and reveals us being on the island. Out of rage for blaming the villagers resurrecting the demon. The four people turn to us while one of them notices us being from Fairy Tail. The Cold Emperor still demands them to destroy the village regardless of us being here, and my blood boils.

Gray lunges at him and summons a geyser of ice. The Cold Emperor jumps up and places his own ice to counter it. Both ice clash and break from the pressure. "Lyon!" Gray shouts. My eyes go wide from what I hear and everything sets into place. Gray explained to me earlier how Lyon had one desire to beat Ur, but never got the chance. What's a better way to defeat someone who is dead? Defeat the thing they couldn't live. Lyon's selfish desires to only resurrect it and kill while everyone suffers, angers me.

"Been a while Gray," Lyon replies in no emotion. They soon go back and forth while Lyon ordered the three to take care of the village. Natsu charges at Lyon to only become frozen. I usher Happy to fly me to the village, so we can stop the three from killing it. He lifts up while Gray attacks Lyon with ice only to be struck down by a shield.

"Gray, beat this guy up and bring Natsu to help the village. Ya' betta show him who is boss." I smirk at him while he gives his own smirk before Happy flys me away. Halfway through, Happy starts to sniffle. "Calm down Happy. I'm sure Natsu will be all right. I mean he is a Fire dragon slayer. What kind of ice can keep him down."

"You're right." I lift his spirits, and he flies faster toward the village. All of a sudden, I get a shiver down my spine. I look towards the sea, and I feel a murderous intent coming for us at full speed. "Happy, not to be rude or er'thing, but hurry up. I wanna get them before the three idiots. And I think Erza's comin'." I see him visibly sweat and race to the village. In a few minutes, we reached the village. The villagers come close to us to get some answers. I explain to them the situation before the village chief comes forth.

"What's going on here," he asks.

"Ah chief. We found out who turned y'all into demons," I say happily.

"I DON'T CARE! WHY HAVEN'T YOU DESTROYED THE MOON YET?!"

"Woah, chill. We might need to destroy it 'cause we found who caused this."

"I DON'T CARE! DESTROY THE MOON LIKE I ASKED!" He screams while being pulled away from me. I sigh and decide to fight when they come. The village offers to help, but I brush them off. I decide to wait for the boys and the intruders, so we finish this off. Though I can't help but wonder._ Lyon wants to kill Deliora for the sake of beating Ur. Using the moon drip spell is smart, but they probably didn't think 'bout the consequences. If I were to assume right, then they must have been here for three years now. Iced Shell is extremely powerful and would take time to melt, so it would make sense for them to be here for that long. But they didn't shift into demonic creatures. So either the villagers are somehow demons, or Lyon and his men are using transformation magic to hide the effects. _

* * *

Natsu shows up with an unconscious Gray, who is beaten up. Natsu fills me in on what happened, and I tell him my plan of attack. Just then, one of the villagers yell, and we see a giant green rat flying towards us with a bucket. From here, I can smell the intruders on top of it, but the bucket the rat is holding, smells acidic and poisonous. One drop of it nears me, and I jump out of the way to see it burn the ground. The rat then dumps all of it on top of the village. Natsu ushers us to head to the middle while he finds a way to take care of the attack.

I have a slight idea of what he is doing, and everyone hurdles around the middle. I tell them to step back slightly, so I can do something. Natsu throws a giant fireball at the acid and it disperses. "Celestial Dragon: Star Shield!" I chant out. A massive star full of energy protect us from being touched from the acid as it rains down. I feel my magic power draining heavily as I hold the spell. I'm not a huge fan of using this one because it drains more magic power. It depends on how much power I put into it, how wide it is, and how long I hold it. Now since I am doing it over a slightly bigger area and holding, my body drains.

By the time it is done raining, a massive chunk of my magic is gone. I haven't practiced this spell as often as I wanted to, so I'm still a novice to it. Thus, draining more than it really should. I fall to the ground and pant while everyone looks around to see the village destroyed. Only the patch of land I was able to protect, is still standing. Everything else is burned and there is a massive crater beside us. The intruders come toward us while knocking over Bobo's grave, which is the only thing that survived. I grit my teeth and glare at them.

"The Cold Emperor wanted us to eradicate the village and its people," Sherry says, flipping her hair.

"50 villagers, two wizards, shouldn't take us 15 minutes to knock them out," Yuka says. I stand up and clutch my keys. _That spell took more out of me than I thought. I'm down to less than a quarter of my power. I'll have to use my keys to fight them or find a way to get my magic back somehow. But the second option sounds harder with everything going on now. I have to be mindful of how I use my key, so I don't fully drain out to fight them. _

"Ready?" Natsu asks while looking at them. I hum in response and get ready. Gray regains some sense and tries to fight with us, but Natsu knocks him out. They don't always show it to each other, but they do care. "Mind takin' care of him for us?" Natsu hands Gray over to the villagers and they agree.

Sherry orders her rat to take care of the villagers and starts to fly for them when I jumped onto it. "Natsu, I'll hold the chick and her pet off! Take care of the rest! I'll met up with you when I'm done!" I yell at him while I clutch onto the rat's leg. I see him nod before I start tickling the rat. Worst idea because in a matter of seconds, we crash into the ground roughly. "I seriously gotta start thinkin' things through before I actually end up dead,"I mutter in pain as I get up. "Now, where did pinky go?"

"Do you have any idea what you are?" Sherry asks me while tears stream from her eyes. "You hurt my dear Angelica! But now, the Cold Emperor will be mad at me! He won't love me!"

"Love? You and him are a thing?"

"Shut up! You're gonna pay!" She proceeds to do something and a huge tree is behind me. It attacks me, but I back flip with one hand to dodge the attack. I decide to start running away from it as it continues to attack me. I run around in a loop then stop and jump to a higher point while the tree gets hit by mountain of large rocks, breaking it instantly. Sherry looks even angrier than before. I back away from her while trying to think of possibilities to knock her out with. She summons a massive rock monster, which will probably hurt if I try anything. I start running away from it as it tries to hit me.

I start sifting through my keys that could take it out. I almost summon Taurus when I realize the type of magic Sherry is using. Doll Magic allows the user to control any inanimate object, including spirits. I picked the worst type of enemy to start fighting, I could use my roar on her and see if I take her out with one hit. She drives me near a cliff as I dodge forward to avoid another attack. Now, I stand on the closest part of the cliff. The last attack generated enough power that it cracked the ground between Sherry and I.

My side falls, and I hit the ground. I didn't have much of a breather as I jumped forward to dodge being crushed by the monster's foot. I run toward the sea when an idea booms in my head. _If I Aquarius, then I can take Sherry out. I don't even have to worry 'bout being attacked because Aquarius'll still attack me. Plus, I still haven't talked to her 'bout what happened six months. If I am alive, then I'll still end up dead. _"Looks like you hit a dead end." Sherry smirks while she commands the rock monster come closer to me.

"Don't count me out just yet!" I pull out Aquarius's key and summon her. I strictly tell her that I'll talk to her later and to take out Sherry. Pinky controls Aquarius like I planned, and commands to attack me. I smirk while I feel my soul and magic drain. "I had a feelin' you were gonna pull that. Good thing Aquarius is a powerful spirit." Aquarius rages and summons a tsunami towards us. I gulp and feel sucked into the wave. I hear Sherry washed away too. I get motion sickness when the water starts spinning like a hurricane with me in the middle. Eventually it wears down, and both of us are on the ground.

I clutch my stomach tightly as I barely stand up. I already know Aquarius is back to the Spirit Realm, but now I barely have any magic left. I feel a little better and see Sherry crazily walking around. She is probably dizzy from the attack. This gives me the chance to deliver a swift punch to her face. She immediately falls, but starts to mutter things. "This is the end. Now the Cold Emperor will never love me."

"Sheesh! Yer' not dyin'. Cut the drama," I say angrily. I notice it starts to become morning, and I slowly start to head in Natsu's direction.

"Angelica, avenge you're master," Sherry says before passing out. The rat comes out to body slam.

"Celestial Dragon: Roar!" A beam of energy hits it and falls beside her master. I collapse from exhaustion and pant heavily. I hear a clutter of armor racing towards me, and I smile because I know it's Erza. In a split second, she is standing over me, looking worried in her eyes. I barely smile before I realize she wants to kill me.

"Luce, are you fine?" She asks me worriedly as she puts my head on her lap. Then she glares. I gulp nervously and pray to live. "You and the boys stole an S-class quest."

"Natsu and Happy did. This the quest the council gave me, and Master knows. Gray was supposed to take us back, but failed when Natsu knocked him out," I explain to her. She softens slightly, but still keeps up her demeanor. I see Happy flying towards us before flying away when he notices Erza. She somehow catches him and holds him by the tail. And I'm on the ground again.

"Lucy, you okay?" Happy asks while Erza glares at him.

"Nah. I barely have any magic power left, and I might faint any second. Erza we are completing this mission for the sake of council. You take the rest of them back after we are done," I tell Happy and Erza. She nods before picking me and placing on her shoulder. "Village should be ahead of us, so might as well take us there," I mutter silently. I feel my eyes begin to blur. I hear both of them call me, but before I could respond, I passed out.

* * *

**Erza's POV**

"Happy, did Lucy by any chance use a large amount of magic?" I inquire with a stern and angry tone. I'm glad to know Lucy didn't break the rules, but the boys are still not in the clear. The moment I entered the guild yesterday, the Master informed me about this, and I raced here as fast as I could.

"Hmm yeah. The village was 'bout to be burnt and the people were gonna die by some acid. Natsu managed to spread the acid while Lucy used some sort of shield to protect the villagers. After that spell, she acted really tired," Happy explains to me. I sigh in agitation. Lucy still must have not learned to properly control the spell. "So ya' gonna not punish us?"

"You and the boys have broken guild rules, and betrayed the Master. You should be glad if you are able to live your lives!" Happy gulps visibly and nods. I requip some rope into my hand and tie Happy. I adjust it so that the rope is tied around my wrist, and adjust Lucy on my back. I feel her hot breath tickle my neck, and shiver goes down my spine. My cheeks feel slighter hotter while I freeze. I calm myself down enough to ignore her breathing. "Take me to the village."

He nods and I follow. He fills me in on what has happened so far, and I quietly listen. I am still furious about the boy's decision, but I do need to complete the mission. I need to test whether or not they are truly willing to save the island for the people or just complete the task for the sake of it. After half an hour of walking, we near the village. Just like how Happy explained, only the middle of the area survived. Now I see how Lucy drained her magic as she did.

I demand Happy to look for another place they could be, and he finds a little storage area, where the villagers are. We head there immediately, so we could find Gray and get some treatment for Lucy. We arrive, and Happy explains the situation about us. They take Lucy to another tent, where her wounds are tended to. After a few minutes of waiting outside, they let us in and I tie the rope to a heavy box, so Happy doesn't escape. He falls asleep and I take a seat beside Lucy.

She doesn't have many wounds, but the drain is hard on her. She is still out, but I think she will wake up soon. A woman walks in to inform me about Lucy, saying that Lucy will wake up in a few hours with enough magic to be stable. I nod and ask about Gray. She explains Gray's location and condition, and I tell her to tell him to come to me when he is awake. She leaves, and I return back to my silence. I decide to fall asleep slightly as I wait for my friends to wake up. I lie my head on Lucy's stomach to find some comfort from her, and I fall asleep.

A few hours later, I woke up to a loud Lucy. I smack her in the head to make her shut up while I stretch. She keeps on mumbling angrily at me, and I smirk at her. She gets up to eat some energy from the sun while I go check on Happy. Stupid cat is still asleep in the same position I saw him in hours ago. Minutes later, Lucy comes in healthy and energetic. I catch her up a bit on what she missed while she fills me in on her theory about the island. We both decide after we deal with the demon, we will find out what is really going on.

I sit on a box while she pulls out a game of cards for us to pass the time before Gray comes. We play for several minutes before she senses Gray's presence. I put on my poker face while having a dangerous aura around me. Lucy backs away and puts Happy on her lap while she thinks about the solution. Gray enters the tent completely in shock. "You made me wait. Not smart," I say angrily.

"Erza?!" He shouts in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were sent here to bring back those two. I didn't think you'd be caught up with them. I'm sure you realize what this means." I walk up to his side while not looking at him. "Happy caught me up to speed. Once we find Natsu, we will leave this island."

"If Happy told you, then you know why we can't. These people need our help plus Lucy is here from the council."

"That is not of our concern. This job is posted in every guild hall for S-class wizards to take. As for the council, I'm sure they would send Lucy in with someone more capable."

"You're out of yer' mind if you think I'm backing out."

"You dare defy me and the guild!?" I pull out a sword and aim it at his neck. "I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation Gray." I test him while glaring at him. He takes the grip of my sword while returning his own glare.

"I'm not backing away from what I believe is right. I'm sure as hell not leaving innocent people here to die for the sake of some rule." I put the sword away and smile at him. His look of astonishment brings me to look at me crazily. "Why the hell are you smiling that?"

"I was merely testing you. I promised Lucy we were going to complete this mission together, but since she was tricked and was brought here, we are all going to complete this mission." I release Happy. He woke up at some point in our conversation.

"Now that is done. Let's go catch up with Natsu. Gray's gotta beat up Lyon for er'thing',"Lucy says proudly while walking out of the tent. Gray looks at her with a smile and follows her out. We all start running towards where the temple is located. We stop when we notice Gray not running. "Gray?" He starts to explain to us about his situation with his master while revealing something shocking.

"Look I never told this to Lyon. I promised Ur I wouldn't, but things have gotten way out of hand. When Ur used Iced Shell, she sealed the demon and died in the process. But that's not entirely true because even if Ur is not with us, she is alive," Gray explains. We look at him for answers. He explains how he meets Ur and Lyon, and the destruction of his town.

"She taught us magic. One of the reasons I have this stripping habit. One day, I learned where Deliora was and vowed to charge at it. I ignored Ur and Lyon's warnings and headed for the town Deliora was in. I didn't stand a second with it and got knocked out. When Ur was there," he pauses before continuing," fighting it off. She lost her leg, but she kept fighting for my future. That's when she used Iced Shell. A spell that creates the ultimate seal with the caster's life and form. I lost her and Lyon was devastated.

"After that, I followed Ur's final wishes of becoming happy and traveled to the western continent to find a way for someone to undo the spell. I came across Fairy Tail and decided to stay to become happy," he finishes. We take a minute for it to sync in.

"It ain't yer' fault this happened Gray. Now stop dwelling in the past, and look at the present. We have to stop him from unsealing it before all hell breaks loose. Stop moping around and start running if we want to beat them," Lucy says proudly and takes off in the direction. We all follow her near the temple, where we see it is crooked. "Looks like Natsu broke off some of the support pillars, so the moon drip spell wouldn't work." We agree before we are ambushed by some cult members.

I tell Gray to go after Lyon while Lucy and I take care of the threat. He smiles and runs. Lucy charges in front of the group and punches through them with her magic. I summon a sword and cut down another part. We then go back to back while staring at the mages. "I don't believe we have done this. I may have teamed up with you in the past, but certainly not like this," I say to her without taking my eyes off the group.

"Eh really? I didn't notice. Also what's with the formalities?" Lucy asks as she roars at another group, taking it down in an instant.

"This is how I talk. Do you have a problem with it?" My tone raises higher to make her answer me.

"No ma'am!" she squeaks. I requip a spear into my hands and take down another group. I see Happy uses some of the land's resources to attack the cult members.

"Why do you think they're doing this?"

"I might have an idea-" she gets cut off quickly as she dodges a kunai from one of them. She delivers a swift uppercut to the member, and they're out cold. "-or two. One, I think they're doing this for revenge against the demon. They smell pretty similar to Lyon. Or two, which is that they're crazy people, who believe in sadistic crap."

"Well your sense of smell doesn't lie, so I'll take idea number one into play." I jump up into the air to requip an axe and dodge before landing down and delivering a blow to another bunch of cult members. I didn't realize how long it actually took us to get to the temple until I see the sun setting down. "Lucy, we might want to wrap this up quickly, so we can help the boys." She nods and charges to take down another group. I requip back into a sword and cut down another batch of cult members.

"Y'all might wanna get away from me." We nod before getting away from her. She stands in the middle as her body starts to glow. "Celestial Dragon: Scattering Light!" Several beams of star energy spread out in several directions, taking out the remaining cult members as well as the environment. By the time it is done, the area looks destroyed while she smiles, but that soon falters when she sees the area. "I'm sorry," she mumbles. Happy looks strangely at her, and she explains how she loves nature.

Soon the temple starts shaking, but that's because it looks like it is going back to its original form. Either they fixed it with some substitute, or they managed to rewind it before it was broken. Lucy's face turns from shock to confusion and anger quickly. I try to ask, but she brushes it off while staring at the temple with a cold look. She starts to head for the temple, and we follow. "Wait, you mustn't go," a lady says. We turn around to see an old woman clutching onto a man with support. They are wearing head pieces that resemble those of the city of Brogo.

The different stones around their head give them away to it. "Those head pieces, you must be from the city of Brogo. And I must guess that you are looking for revenge," I comment.

"You have no idea," the man says, having a distant look in his eye. "That demon took everything from us. Left us with nothing but a destroyed life and revenge."

"How did you meet the Cold Emperor or Lyon?" Lucy asks while glaring a little at the people. She is still angry from whatever she has on her mind.

"After fleeing, Lyon found us. He promised us that if we were to revive Deliora, he would slay it to get our revenge. We didn't know why he wanted to, but we weren't complaining. We were angry and hurt, so it made sense at the time."

"I get it I do, but have you stopped to consider the consequences it might have on others? This is no ordinary demon that was imprisoned," Lucy says, starting to calm down.

"No, not until you showed up. We knew people were on this island, but we didn't bother them because it wasn't our problem." They both look down in shame for their actions.

"Look we can't turn back time, but we can fix the present. If the demon does get unsealed, then we will fight it. 'Til then, we'll stop it from melting." I nod, and they raise their heads to look at us. "You guys might wanna look for something else in life other than revenge. You'd be shocked to find out there is so much to it. When you're so focused on something, you tend to forget the simple things. But it is those things, we either regret or cherish on later." I nod again and head for the temple.

"You took the words right of my mouth," I say.

"They needed to hear it. Besides, yer' a slow talker. You wouldn't have actually said in time to make an impact," she teases and runs for life with Happy. I run after them to give Lucy a taste of my fist. I just hope this situation ends soon.


	9. Chapter 8-Respect

**Gray's POV**

I raced my way towards the temple in lightning fast speed. For some reason, I keep remembering Ur's sacrifice in my head. How she gave up her own life for the sake of Lyon and mine's. Maybe if I wasn't so arrogant and hot-headed, then I probably could have avoided this. But I can't alter the past, I can only fix the present. That's what I plan to do. I think about performing Iced Shell on Lyon, so he doesn't get a chance to fight Deliora, but soon shake it off. I mean if they can melt it with Moon Drip.

I run inside and head for the top floor, where I hear the fighting. I see half the area in a shell of ice and decide to punch it. I open to see Natsu and Lyon. I slowly walk over to the both of them. "Leave him to me. I got a score to settle with him," I tell Natsu without taking my eyes off Lyon.

"No way man! You already lost to him!" Natsu whines like a child.

"That ain't happening this time. I'm planning to finish what I started."

"You're awfully confident," Lyon states with a bored expression.

"You're right about one thing, Lyon. Ur's death is my fault, but you're not any better. You threatened my comrades, harmed the villagers, and now ruining the very thing Ur gave her life to. It's about time we both face our punishment," I tell him. I think again about doing Iced Shell, but this time I might do it. I hope I can trick him into backing out because I still know it is worthless in the end. I also hope Natsu doesn't fall for it.

I stretch my arms, crossing them. My legs are spread apart, and I lean my body forward. "That position, don't tell me you're going to perform Iced Shell!" Lyon cries out in shock.

"If you value your life, then you turn the villagers back to normal. And you will leave this island." I start activating the spell and glare at Lyon.

"Like you have the guts to go through with it." I amplify the spell even more to speed it up. Now ice shards spread out, giving it a cold blast of air. Lyon tries his magic to eradicate the spell, but it blows up in his face. Natsu has to put his arms up in defense to protect himself while urging me to stop.

"For a long time, I didn't think Ur's death was my fault, but it was. It's about time I own up to my mistake. If I have to end my life because of it, then let it be."

"Stop it now!"

"Time to pick! Live or die?"

"You'll never go through with it."

"Watch me!" I take up a notch without fully acknowledging it. When I do, I can't stop it. Natsu, Erza, Fairy Tail, I'm sorry, but I think my time is up. Thank you for the best ten years of my life. I'll cherish it in the afterlife. I close my eyes to let the spell come over me. I feel my body turning into ice and cracking. Lyon still doesn't believe I won't go through with it, but at this point I can't stop it. "ICED SHELL!" I almost clap my hands to seal the deal when Natsu punches me and stops the spell. I fall to the ground and look at him in disbelief. "Natsu!"

"What? You can't just show up actin' all dandy and steal the show! Get to the back of the line!" Natsu demands with a smirk.

"Back of the line?" I ask almost hesitantly."

"Y'know I showed up first, so this my fight!"

"Your fight? Buddy when I got here I said leave him to me! YOU DEAF?!"

"I heard it all right. But after ye' said it, I declared I fight him before you!" Having enough of his childish behavior, I grab him by the scarf and look at him in the eye.

"I don't care who said what. I got a score to settle with him, so drop it. If I have to die for it, then let me!" He grabs my wrist tightly and glares at me menacingly.

"Oh yeah? How is dying settling this? Sounds to me like you're runnin' away." I look at him in shock when I realize what he means. Before I could say anything to him, the building started shaking. That's when I notice how everything starts to feel like they are going back into place. Great! The moonlight is gonna shine on the stupid demon again! I betta' end this fast, or else it's too late.

Then a short guy with green hair, a weird looking mask, a cloak, runs into Lyon. They take the liberty of discussing how the short guy fixed the temple for the ceremony, indicating that night has fallen. "What's the big deal? How'd you fix it?" Natsu practically whines. The short guy laughs and runs off to start the ceremony. Natsu spits out fire and runs after him.

"Natsu!" I call out to him. He stops shortly before looking at me.

"I'm leaving you to finish this guy off. You better not lose," he says, fixing his direction back to the exit. "'Cause this time ain't only 'bout you."

"I know. It's for Fairy Tail." He runs off, leaving me with Lyon at last.

"You two are quite the pair," Lyon comments. I face him, giving him my full attention.

"Tell me something. When I tried to use the spell, you were counting on the people to save you from if I were to freeze you right?" I ask with a bored expression.

"Indeed. My allies are just as devoted as I am. You would've been finished. Now tell me, are you willing to still fight me?" I think for a moment what he says. Honestly, I have no desire to fight him. I still wish to respect Ur's last wishes, but I have broken it to bring back some sense into Lyon. "You must be fooling yourself if y-"

"That's enough."

"What's the utter meaning of this?"

"Just forget about Deliora.

"Begging really? Does your guild have a dentist to pull out your fangs? Because right now, you're a kid, who screwed up something, and is asking to be forgiven."

"Lyon, you gotta know this. Ur is still alive." He looks at me in shock, and I continue, "Iced Shell doesn't kill its caster, but merely uses their body as the defense to keep it sealed. So the ice you have been melting, has been killing Ur this entire time. I'm sorry I never told you. I promised her I wouldn't." I look down and think about her last words that I fail to notice Lyon coming closer.

"Of course," he mutters before stepping in front of me. I become astonished, but before I could say anything, he uses his magic to summon a snow tiger within my right kidney. I groan lowly and fall back in pain to my right side, which is currently bleeding heavily. My eyes slowly start to blur as I try to keep my conscience. "She is nothing more than dead now. I assure you." He cancels the magic, and I am left with a hole in my right side. It starts to bleed out heavily as my breath becomes shorter.

"You knew.." I barely voice out.

"Knowing is one thing while believing is another. If you really believe she is alive, then you're dumber than that flame idiot." He circles towards my legs. I try to get up, but fail, and my body is shaking constantly. I feel like I might lose consciousness soon if I don't freeze my wound. With the little strength I have, I freeze it. I slowly stand up with wobbly legs, which might give out, and get my bearings straight. It hurts a lot, but I need to beat him for Fairy Tail and Ur's sake.

"You knew..and you-" breathing heavily as I talk-"still went ahead and did it. I'm gonna make you pay!" I punch his left cheek with enough force that he gets tumbled into a wall. He gasps in shock at my new found strength, which is nothing more than adrenaline at this point if I use it right. "I thought I could've saved you, but I give up."

"You want the title of star pupil? Well sorry to crush your dreams, but I have to go fight Deliora soon. I'd rather not waste my magic on this pointless fight."

"Fine by me. We will just use our fists."

"Very well." I charge at him with my right fist, but I get hit in the wound by his right hand strongly. "Our first lesson. Always aim for your opponent's weak spot." I start to fall before I try again with my previous attack to get kneed in the same area again. I landed on the floor with a crash. He steps away to give me a chance at this fight. I get up, clutching my wound, and stare at him. He charges at me, delivering a punch to my left then right. Followed by a right uppercut, then finished with a knee to the face. I step back barely, groaning.

"It's a shame. Your fists are as weak as your magic," he insults me. I try to punch him again, but this time he kicks me in the face, sending me flying into the wall. I land roughly on it and slide down slowly.

"This fight reminds me of someone else I spared with." I redo my attack, but once again get sent flying into the wall, but harder this time. Natsu. I remember a specific day when we fought. Master and Erza joined us as referees to make sure we didn't kill each other. We fought until we both landed on the ground. I remember looking up at the sky that day, and I hated how peaceful it looked. Why? Simple because everything at the time felt so messed up. Seeing something so peaceful, just made me angrier. I start to breathe heavily, and I can hear his breathing too.

"That settles it. I win."

"No." He turns around to see me standing up. "This fight is far from over."

He starts to shake from anger. "I should've killed you when I had the chance." He charges at me, and I do the same. We punch each other in the face, but my fist has more power, thus it sends him crashing into the ice. He comes back and elbows me in the face. I refuse to give up against him since I didn't give up against Natsu. I headbutt Lyon, and he knees me in the chin. I get sent back and run up to him. He delivers a swift uppercut, and I punch his left arm, and he punches my right cheek.

We keep punching each other in the chest and face continuously, and it reminds me of how I fought Natsu that day. I got in the last hit. I kick him in the face, sending him into a wall. He falls slowly to the ground. I watch him stand in pain as he uses the wall for support. "The Cold Emperor bested in battle by the likes of you!" Lyon growls in pain. "I won't stand to lose to you!"

"Then stand up and fight!" I urge him. With some new will, he manages to stand on his own two feet without any support. His breathing is heavy, but there is a look of determination in his eye. He takes his right hand out and makes a dragon. It dashes towards me, taking me into the air whilst directly attacking my fatal wound. I groan in pain in an attempt to mask desire to scream. I use my elbow to break the head. I tumble backwards until I hit the ice wall. At this point, my whole body is throbbing in pain, especially my right side. I have several bruises and scratches that are ridiculous.

I cough up some blood from the impact and clutch my side. I wearily stand up and wipe the blood from my mouth and glare at Lyon. "What the hell! I thought we agreed on no magic?" I question.

"Don't act like a fool! This fight is pointless and utter waste of my time. Deliora will be resurrected." He has a crazy look of despair and superiority that starts to linger in his eyes. "Alas, after years of hard work, my dream will come true. And no one shall stand in my way!" He rages.

"I ain't lettin' that go down," I drawl out. I stand up in a fighting position as my body aches to rest. I can't give up now, not when I stop it. Lyon still thinks he can win this fight and take out the demon. He starts to explain how close everything is. "Maybe you don't get it. That Zalty guy sure is weird, but his magic is amazing. But don't underestimate Natsu." I grin happily. "The minute you do, fate will bite you back."

He dissolves the ice around us and starts to think for a moment. I take that to my advantage and punch him in the jaw, sending him back slightly. He looks to be in shock, but soon wears off. He backs up and makes some apes. Since my injuries are wearing me down, both the apes strike me with barely any time to defend. I fall back and grunt in despair. I make some lances and destroy the apes with it while trying to hit Lyon. He narrowly dodges it and gets beside me to kick. I catch his leg with my left and punch him in the gut with my right.

He drops to the ground as I let go. He makes some waves of ice, but that gets blocked with my own. In the middle of it, there looks a path to make above the wave. I run up to the top and see Lyon in the same position, which gives me a chance. I jump down with my right fist hitting the ground first. Encasing my fist in ice, I spread a scatter of ice into the ground directly towards Lyon at fast speeds. He doesn't dodge and takes it head on and lands a few meters away. Except he shatters into pieces.

My eyes widen when I feel him behind me. He has fists encased in ice, taking the shape of a lion. I turn around to try to dodge, but fail. He delivers a blow to my gut. I stand back clutching it and cough up blood, only to be hit with another to my face. He catches me in a position where I am unable to dodge. He continues to punch me until he finishes it off with one blow, which makes me to the ground. My vision starts to see red as I feel a gash of blood seep from a new wound. Lyon's body is just as bad as mine, but he is in better condition than I am. He stands over me to make one last shot. I use the ground to freeze a little bit of the area until it reaches Lyon's hand and stops him from the final attack. I back out of the position and stand.

He wastes no time in breaking the ice and stands to glare at me. I am about to make another move, when the raging growl of Deliora. The very one that I never forgot. My eyes widen anxiously before reverting back to normal. The ground shakes from the roar, which makes me wonder just how loud it will be when it is fully released. "The ice has begun melting away from the ceremony. There is no point in stopping it now," he sneers proudly.

A pang of guilt strings my heart. Ur sacrificed everything for our future, and now only to be destroyed by a numb skull of an idiot. Lyon always had an admiration to defeat Ur, but somewhere along the line, he failed to see the life around him. He became unstable to a point where harming and manipulating people became the norm. His obsession turned into a far dangerous outcome than I think Ur imagined. "You really are hellbent on seeing this through," I mutter angrily.

"Of course! There is no stopping anything now! You and your friends failed!" he finishes off. He makes a pack of eagles that are sharp as blades to attack me. I dodge a few before making a shield. More starts to pour down until a one big approaches from above. It dives for me, but I move to my left to avoid. "I waited three years to make this happen."

"You wasted three years for a stupid plan?" I inquire in disbelief.

"You have no right to belittle me! You spent the decade wasting your life away in a wizard guild!" he retorts.

"That's because I listened to what Ur said." He becomes silent and stares at me unknowingly. "I went West and like she said, there were so many powerful wizards, especially Fairy Tail," I defend myself. I think back to how I met Gramps. His love and help made me who I am today. I simply can't abandon my friends, when I'm not ready myself. Gramps probably thought about the Moon Drip spell when I first asked him to revive back Ur. I tell Lyon when I first went to Fairy Tail. "Now that I think about it, Gramps probably knew 'bout this," I comment.

"This doesn't change a thing. All my life I had one goal, and I will accomplish it!" He howls. Charging at me again, I keep dodging his attack. He tries to make countless blows to my face and stomach, but fails. But in between it, I manage to find the gap as to how long his attacks are going at. Within a small time frame, I quickly make a sword and destroy his attack. I yell at him and slash my sword through his chest only to be fooled by the clone again. I didn't even notice when he made one.

He gets behind me once again and makes a tiger. It leaps at me, and I back flip into the air. Making my creation position with my hands, I quickly make a cage. It is built higher than I would've thought, but it gives the height advantage. The tiger tries various attempts to get out of the cage, but fails miserably and continues to roar. I get down from the cage and stand in front of Lyon. "Rule number one: single casting Maker magic is unbalanced. Your creations will fail you when you need them the most," I state. I slowly walk closer to him as he tries to get his tiger out of the cage.

I decide to finish off this battle once and for all with one shot. It is obvious that his magic started to drain him the moment his snow tiger failed to get out. Maker magic takes a lot of concentration to pull off any creation. Single casting Maker magic is not nearly as powerful as using both hands. And in the end, it takes up more magic by using one hand than two. You could master single casting, but when it comes to magic reserves, it will fail. I get into my position and a large magic circle summons beneath me. I stretch my hands to my side in the position of a rocket launcher. An ice canon is made within seconds and clutch onto the handle tightly.

"Ice-Make: Canon!" I cast a powerful beam of ice towards Lyon. The power of the cannon is too much for me to properly hold my ground, and I almost trip performing it. His injuries make it hard for him to move or create any magic to block the hit. As it draws near him, he lets out an ear piercing scream as it hits. Smoke clouds the surrounding area and with my limited vision, I barely see a hole in the wall. Dust clears, and Lyon falls back onto the ground harshly. There seems to be a large wound drawing out from his right shoulder and the body has particles of my ice surrounding him. He faints, and I drop to the ground. "That took a lot of me physically than I thought. Judging by the roar, the ice is melting much too quickly for it to hold out any longer. Using the Iced Shell will be useless, so fighting it will be the only option," I ramble out loud my thoughts.

I pant heavily for a few minutes to relax my aching muscles. I get up to get down to Deliora when the roar from it makes me freeze in my tracks. The very roar that haunted me when I was child until now. I would never forget something like this, which pushes me harder to get stronger. I sigh to calm down my racing heartbeat and clear my mind of any distractions. Thank you for saving my life Ur. I don't think I could ever repay you, but let me honor your memory by defeating Deliora. I clench my fists and head down in full determination.

* * *

**Natsu's POV**

The Zalty guy is starting to get on my nerves. His ability to change an object's time is annoying. I should be thankful it doesn't work on living creatures, or else we would be in serious trouble. I try to make several attempts to hit him with my magic, but it is useless. And now, the ice already melted at the waist of the demon. Not only that, but when it roared, my ears died.

Zalty keeps mocking me and hitting me continuously. which gives me no time for a counter attack. He however, is generous to provide an explanation for reviving the demon. Pure madness in my opinion if you just want to revive to control it for your own benefits. But the weirdest part of all of this, might be his scent. You think for a guy he would not smell like women's perfume, unless for something else entirely.

He starts to lose his cool and sends me several lacrima balls my way. Getting fed up, I decide to use my magic to break it once again. But this time, breaking the lacrima might cause an explosion since there are several. Providing a smoke screen, I jump above and punch the guy square in the face before he could dodge. He goes flying into the cave floor.

The large cave ultimately has tons of cracks. Especially the floor, now that the ice is melting, water fills the cracks in a tremendous speed. Tons of large and small rocks followed by some crystals, but nothing too major for making profit of. I see the purple glow disappear from above, and the ice completely melts. Deliora roars once more, but this time more powerful. I smell Gray behind me, and I check to see he is staring at the demon. "Hey whatcha' doin' down here?" I ask cheerfully.

"Natsu," he follows with. Gray has this distant tone in his voice, which almost sounds like guilt.

"Well there is nothin' we can do now, but destroy the thing." I jump down from the rock to get to his level.

"I guess you're right," he mutters. Behind him, we both see Lyon crawl his way towards us. He has a fanatical look in his eye that freaks me out. He starts sputtering nonsense, which we look sadly at him. He still wants to fight it even after taking a beating from Gray. I'll admit the guy is stubborn and determined, but this is nuts.

Deliora howls once more. "I waited all my life for this moment. And now it's coming true," he admits. He looks at the demon in awe. "She was strong, but still lost to that thing." He stands up slowly. "My dream will be fulfilled." Gray smacks him at the pressure point. Lyon falls, and Gray ushers me to fight it. I smile at him and get ready.

"I'll try my best to freeze it in its tracks while you attack it. If we combine our attacks together, then we can take it out," he explains, and I nod. Deliora takes a foot on our ground and swings its tail towards us. We jump back, and Gray temporarily freezes it in its track. It howls and starts to swing its fist. I jump to counter it with my own.

"Fire Dragon: Iron Fist!" I cast my spell. I'm in mid-air, and I almost fall, but Gray creates a pillar of ice for my support. Successfully landing on the ice, it becomes a battle of strength and power. I scream my war cry and with enough power, the demon starts to crack. The hand falls off, and I draw back my hand in shock. "I'm much stronger than I thought," I mutter while looking at my hand in amazement. The rest of the body soon follows and everyone else looks at it in shock.

The parts of the body enter the water, causing a massive splashes. The sound of it almost feels as though we are in an earthquake. "For ten years. the demon was rotting in the shell. What we witnessed was its last dying breath," Lyon mutters weakly. I smell a hint of salt coming from, but I don't have a clue to why he is crying.

I turn to Gray with a smile. "Your teacher was pretty awesome!" I compliment him. He starts to cry, and I grin with my eyes closed. I turn around to see Lucy and Happy coming. Happy hugs me, and I feel Erza's presence behind me. I scream and try to run, but she grabs me. I look away from and look at Gray helping Lyon. I am happy that it is over, and I got to fight another demon.

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

We head of the cave outside near the sea. Natsu and Happy are practically glowing from taking down the beast. Erza and I on the other hand, are thinking of more possibilities of lifting the curse. We both figured that Deliora is not the cause, considering Moon Drip is in the play. _To be totally honest, those villagers hidin' something. Now that Deliora and Lyon are out of the way, we can finally go ask about it. But what's pissing me off, is I smell Ultear's scent. This makes no sense! Why is she here?_ My thoughts scramble on and on before abruptly halting when the boys start to panic.

"The demon had nothing to do with the curse. It is simply the intense magic energy from the Moon Drip spell that affected them," Erza explains to them. I do not bother to voice my opinions. I walk straight to Lyon for questions.

"You've been on this island for three years, which is also the same time the moon started going crazy. Mind tellin' me why you haven't been affected?" I interrogate him .

"To be honest, I don't have a clue." I raise my eyebrow and look at him. The others do the same for him to continue. "It is true we have been since the moon started to glow purple. We knew there was a village here, but we didn't bother visiting them. Not once."

"That starts to fit in with my idea. Why didn't they bother to check it out? I mean the light is so bright, it's hard not to miss it." I put a hand to my chin and my forehead.

"The villagers weren't transformed by the Moon Drip. In fact, it doesn't have any effect on the human body." He finally looks at me.

"Yeah right! You're just saying to get off the hook for what you pulled!" Natsu accuses Lyon dramatically.

"Just think about it. I have been exposed to it as long as they have, yet I'm still human. As well as my associates," Lyon calmly explains.

"Well it's official. They're hidin' something. I mean Moon Drip is a scared and pure spell, so turning into demons isn't exactly well pure. Unless.." I trail off. My mind goes into overdrive._ Of course! Now it makes sense! The spell must have affected whatever spell the villagers had on. So essentially, the villagers must have been demons in the first place! I can only guess two reasons why they'd hide it. One, they must have forgotten due to the intensity of Moon Drip. Two, they must have been scared to tell us they were demons in the first place. But that needs a little more thought on it._

"Lucy, you okay?" Happy asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Not really. But I think I know what caused the curse or whatever you call it in the first place," I say happily. Everyone looks at me in shock. "But first, we need to go to the village for answers. They're the only ones to give it. Then I think I might have a way to destroy the moon." The boys' jaws drop to the floor while Erza has a contemplating look on her face. _I mean it makes sense. The moon is only purple here while everywhere else is um.. white. So it would make sense that the area must be surrounded by some gas that crystallized into a cloud. Break that, and we get the villagers back to normal. _

"You seriously believe we can destroy the moon?" Gray asks unbelievably.

"Yep." He mutters something under his breath, and I ignore what he says.

"Awesome!" Natsu cheers before facing Lyon. "But we ain't done with you yet. You des-" he gets cut off by Erza, who puts her hand on his mouth.

"Enough. They did what they believed was the right reason to go about it. No need to make them dwell on it any further." She lets go of him and starts to walk to the village.

"'Bout time. Thought we weren't gonna ever get there," I tell her before running off again. I just want to get off this island once and for all. My sleep schedule flew out the window in the past 24 hours, and I prefer to sleep on a soft bed. The others soon catch up and reach the storage area. We look around to see nobody around, and Gray goes off to find medicine.

"Hey guys!" a man that looks like a green lizard runs in. "Good you made. There is something you need to check out." We follow him to where the village is located. Once we are there, we are in shock. The village is completely restored back to its original state. We all look around to make sure it is real. I clench my fists and look down at the ground. _Why is she here? I can smell she was here. First she rebuilds the temple to finish the ceremony, and now restores the village. I seriously am getting tired of being played for a fool. Surely she knows I'll ask questions 'bout this soon. _

Natsu taps the house to check if it is real and mutters something about a guy restoring something about time. I sigh to calm down my burning nerves. If I think too much into it now, I will not be able to focus on the mission. I walk up to the chief. I am happy to see Bobo's grave back in place. "You and your friends used magic to restore the village?" he asks.

"Yeah somethin' like that," I mutter silently under my breath. He stands up to thank me.

"However, when are going to destroy the moon?" He gives me a crazy look, resulting in me backing away from him a little bit.

"Uh right 'bout now." I throw my hands up in defense while sweat narrowly sprawls down my body.

"Destroying the moon is an easy task," Erza says in my defense. I hear Happy and Gray muttering how crazy Erza and I must have gotten. "However, before I do that, I'd like you all to answer a few questions for us. If you would, can you call your people for a brief meeting?" The chief gathers everyone to the center of the village while we stand on the opposing side. Erza is in front of us with a serious look on our face. "Let me get my facts straight. The first time everyone started to take on these demonic forms, was when the moon started going purple is that correct?"

"Yes. During the day, we are fine. But when the moon comes out, we transform," the chief answers clearly.

"It has been three years since the transformation started, correct?" Erza starts to walk to her right without right. For some reason, I have a feeling she'll fall into a hole.

"Yes, I suppose it has been a long time."

"We discovered that a Moon Drip ceremony has been taking place every night on this island for the past three years. It produces a beam of powerful and bright light, that it is impossible to miss." She then walks straight into a hole, which was somehow suspiciously there. She screamed like a girl, that I forgot she was a woman. With her new demeanor, I find it hard to believe she is a girl sometimes. Moments like that, definitely bring some good opportunities for teasing. The boys are shocked by her screaming like a girl, but I merely have a satisfactory grin on my face.

She walks out the hole and starts to talk again like nothing just happened. "Haven't you all wondered where the light came from?" she asks with folded arms. I want to laugh so badly, but keep it inside for later. She punched me earlier back when we entered the temple, so I am not going to let off the hook that easily. Payback will be my friend this time. All villagers have a weird expression on their face. "I fail to understand why any of you haven't gone to investigate."

"We would have, but according to village law, we aren't allowed near that temple." Everyone starts to mutter among themselves. I just about have had enough of their lying.

"Does village law really matter when your people are hurting?" I ask angrily. At this point, they are using the excuse to justify the fact they cannot get near the temple. "I mean you wouldn't have asked the council or guilds for help. So can you please tell us what is going on?"

"To be honest, we don't know ourselves. Allow me to explain. We have tried to investigate, but every time we would get near the temple, we find ourselves back at the village gates," the chief responds. I finally sigh in satisfaction. My theory all falls into place, so now the only thing left is to show them the truth. And I have a good idea Erza caught on to what I meant.

"I see. I get it now," Erza answers. She starts towards a tower while she requips. Her outfit changes to a bulky yellow armor with blue patterns and cat-like ears on her head. She also has some massive leggings, gloves, arms, and boots, that could pass for a barefoot. The shoes and gloves are blue whilst in the upper part of the arm, shows some skin. The torso has a layer like structure while her chest suit designs. In the midsection, there is a red cross symbol . Her shoulder pads to touch her body, but merely leaves a hollow area."Lucy, come here. I need your help destroying the moon." I smirk and walk up to her. I hear the boys shout in shock.

"Geez take ya' a while didn't it. I could've already done it if-" I stop what I say when I see her glare and intimidating aura. I silently follow her lead.

"Now that you are done talking, we are going to destroy the moon." I nod while everyone else looks at us. "This is the only way to change the villagers back to normal." Everyone cheers, and the boys look at us in disbelief.

"I'm guessing you wanna do it from here, so everyone can see." I get closer to her.

"Indeed. Since they cannot go near the temple, here will suffice." I nod again. Though I am curious to why she needs my help with this. To me, it looks like she is ready to take it by herself. "This is Giant Armor. This allows my strength to increase, and to throw further." She sticks her hand out to requip a spear of the same design. The top has some weird symbols while the bottom is just a base and the same color of her armor. Oddly enough, the spear is taller than her. I wonder why she uses it with this armor. "This is the Spear Of Haja. It repels darkness."

"So yer' gonna use the spear to knock it out of the sky?" I look at her in some awe.

"Yes, but I'm afraid I need more strength that this armor cannot give me. Thus, I'll need your star energy to for a boost. Now, we need to time our attack perfectly. When I get ready to throw the spear, I need you to use your energy to cause a powerful explosion to cause the spear to hit its mark."

"Sounds easy enough." I shrug.

"Very well. Follow me then." We make it to the top of the tower. She takes up her stance, and I ready my magic. The bottom of the spear glows yellow. "Now!" I punch the back of the spear with my energy and make the energy explode. The top of the tower explodes, but the spear is sent flying off into the air. "I must say I'm impressed you figured this out rather quickly."

"I guess. The situation seemed easy to begin with, but I just needed the right answers."

"Good job though. But never call me slow again, or else you will fear the day you make the mistake." I nod my head rapidly at her comment. She's much scarier than I remember, which is not a good thing for me. Even if I do tease her, I have to make sure I make it out alive afterwards. We watch as the spear shatters the sky or rather the crystallized gas membrane. Everyone gasps from the truth while I smile. The rest of the membrane shatters and the sky is back to normal. Everyone glows for a moment before returning to normal forms as demons. "Now that has been broken, everything should return back to normal." She has a small smile on her face. I nod.

We both head down to explain what happened. "Uh..I think you guys messed something up. They're not turning back to humans," Natsu questions.

"That's because these are their true forms." Erza then explains what happened. The boys run around like crazy interrogating the villagers. I smile and giggle at their actions. I cannot help but frown for the people who died. They probably remembered everything, but the others did not catch on. I sigh and look up at the sky for a moment of peace. "Something wrong?"

"They had to kill the people who practically remembered being demons. So I guess in the end, it was for nothing." I sigh again.

"I suppose so, but they had to do what they thought was right." She places a hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, been hearin' a lot of that. Kinda sick of it." She gives me a soft look. "I just wanna go home!" I whine. She hits me in the head with remorse. "What the hell was that about? Are you tryna' to start a fight with me?"

"That was for being disrespectful. We can fight later, but I assure you I will win." She smirks. Just when I am about to punch her, a guy comes up.

"Man you wizards are good detectives," somebody says. We turn around to see Bobo in his demon form. Gray and I shout in surprise. "I really owe you one. Thanks!"

"How are you alive?" I blutter out.

"Getting stabbed in the chest, did hurt. But I'm a demon, your gonna have to try harder to kill me." He laughs. Gray and I both look at him crazily.

"But on the boat." Bobo spreads his wings and flies into the air. My mouth hangs open and my eyes have stars in them. I wanna have wings! It'd be so freakin' awesome!"

"Sorry I had to lie to you. Everyone went crazy when the transformation took place. Weirdest part was that everyone thought they were cursed humans." He chuckles. The chief tears up and spreads his own wings. He dashes to hug his son, and the two share a bonding moment. Soon everyone else does the same.

"They're demons all right," Erza comments with a small smile.

"I don't know," Natsu jumps in. "From here, they kinda look like angels." We all smile and look at the villagers.

"Demons or not, they look so cool! Seriously I want those wings!" I exclaim. Natsu agrees, but the others give us a stupid look. I shrug it off and smile. The moment between Bobo and the chief, reminds me what might happen when I find Celeste. Wherever she is, I hope she is watching me from the stars. The chief announces a feast. All the villagers fly down and prepare everything while I go help Gray get patched up. After that is done, the meals are all ready and we join them. "Man, so much food! I don't know what to choose from," I say, stuffing my face with some meat.

"Indeed. There is a lot to choose from," Erza comments while taking a bite from her food. We eat and talk with the villagers. For demons, they know how to throw a party. Off in the distance, I hear Gray being swooned by the ladies. I snicker silently, but Erza catches me. "What are you laughing about?"

"Gray's the ladies man right now. Frosty doesn't even know what's happening to him." I point at where Gray is. He is being led to somewhere to learn how to dance like a demon. She smiles at the sight and elbows me in the gut. I groan and clutch my stomach.

"You mustn't insult him like this. Frankly, I think he deserves a little bit of the attention after everything." She goes back to drinking her water. I silently curse her and swear revenge once we get back.

"I must admit I was wrong about humans," the chief says. We all turn for him to continue. "We spent years thinking they'd judge us by our appearance. We made up the curse to keep people away."

"One hell of a lie you guys got goin'. Nobody wanted to even come close to this island thanks to it," I say.

"It is a shame we did." My face slowly softens. "After meeting you, our faith in humans has been restored. We can finally have the confidence to go to other lands and befriend new people."

"That's good. Friendship is an emotional bond that transcends one's own physical appearance," Erza comments. We all smile and back to our food. Erza and I start talking before I choke on my food. She pats my back harshly that I am over the table. She apologizes, and I give her a wary smile. We spend some more time like that before Sherry and Yuka show up. "How may we help you?" Erza stands up and gets closer to them.

"We've come to pay you a visit in the Cold Emperor's wishes. He is so banged up right now, he can't even move a limb," Yuka answers confidently.

"So Lyon didn't mention the part where we called truce?" I ask skeptically.

"That doesn't matter to us. We wanted to settle things our way." Yuka smirks. Natsu prepares to fight before being shot down by the chief and Bobo, who wish to take care of the situation by themselves. Erza declines them and steps up to face Sherry and Yuka.

"Titania of Fairy Tail. I've great stories about you. I didn't think I'd get the chance to meet you," Sherry states.

"Pinkie over there controls inanimate objects," I holler.

"Don't even try magic on mega brows," Natsu jumps in. Erza sprints and kicks in the gut. Following swiftly, she elbows Yuka in the chin. Both of them collapse and grunt in pain. They get up slowly, holding their painful sides carefully. They soon explain their reasons for joining Lyon and apologize for the trouble. Seems everybody had a grudge to kill Deliora for the pain the demon caused a decade ago. Natsu gets behind them and ushers them to join the party, which they try to decline. But Natsu did not have any of it and forces them to sit down at the table. "All right! Now I'm ready to partay!" I snicker at his childish attitude and go along with the rest of the party.

We partied until we dropped like flies. I walk up to see Erza's head leaning on my shoulder, sleeping comfortably. My stomach growls silently, and my face heats up in embarrassment. I nudge Erza, and she gets up soon. "I'm gonna eat some sunlight, wanna get some food?" I offer. She nods and sets off. After breakfast, I join up with the boys, and Erza goes to pack up her stuff and collect something. I already have a souvenir from this place, so I am satisfied. I see Gray sitting on the ground with an agitated look on his face while Natsu munches on fire. I sit beside Gray and inspect his face. "Looks like that's gonna leave a scar." I point to the left side of his forehead, where the scar resides, almost hidden by his bangs.

"Whatever like I care," he mutters and looks away.

"On your face?" I ask slightly in shock.

"I don't mind having them as long as I can see them. It's the ones you can't see that hurt the most," he says smoothly.

"Didn't take you for a smooth talker." Natsu retorts a different answer, and the boys almost get into an argument. "Now, let's pack up and go home. I wanna sleep in my own bed after all of this craziness." We grab our stuff and stand at the front of the entrance. I go to greet the chief for the reward, and Erza comes along.

"Thank you for all the help the council and your guild has done. We are truly honored," the chief says proudly.

"It's not sweat. The job was a piece of cake even though there were some complications. We are glad to have helped you and your people," I respond. They give us seven million jewels and a Zodiac key. I celebrate in my head, and split the money in half with Erza. The boys come whining towards me.

"It ain't fair that you and Erza get all the money," Natsu whines like a child.

"It also isn't fair to trick someone into going on an S-class mission without permission, molten brains," I retort. We bicker back and forth before Erza splits us up with a death glare. We visibly shrink and get away from her. "Don't think you're getting away with callin' me a princess, ashy."

"We'll settle this when we go back to Magnolia." He smashes his head to mine.

"Sounds good to me. 'Bout time someone put you in your place." We separate and go our different ways. Erza leads us to the shore, where we see a massive pirate ship. They greet Erza with an esteem title. "O hoi me beauty?" I feel like she hijacked the ship somewhere at port, but I am not the mood to be fighting with her, considering we have to ride a boat back to Hargeon.

"That's right. They have become quite fond of me." I do not even bother answering her and sigh breathlessly. I stare off at the distance, praying maybe an animal could come and drop us off at Hargeon, but I would be fooling myself. I sulk, not caring who is watching. The pirates usher us to come aboard, and I get a weird chill up my spine.

"I don't think I'm ready." I stare at the ship.

"If you wanna swim, I'll join ya'," Natsu declares.

"I'm not that desperate moron!" I yell at him and get aboard. I start to feel green already as well as Natsu. I get to the railings and slump half my body over it. The villagers wave goodbye to us, but I am too sick to respond. Erza picks me up and lays my head in her lap as she takes on the floor. She runs her hands through my and I grumble curses under my breath. "I hate transportation!" I whine weakly. She does something because the next I am asleep.

I walk up and see we are in Magnolia, and I'm laying on Erza's pile of suitcases. I slip off before I get sick anymore. "Look who is awake," Gray teases. I glare at him and stretch. "I still can't believe that we didn't get a single thing from the reward. Maybe we could sell your gate key and get something out of it."

"Think about it, and I will kill you. The Zodiac keys are hard to come by, and I'm lucky to even five. Besides, I promised a friend I'd care for them if I ever got my hands on all of them." My softens, thinking about Layla's final promises. Gray must have noticed the look on my face, and changes the topic slightly.

"So which one of the Zodiacs did you get?" He stuffs his hands in his pockets. We all stop to talk.

"Sagittarius, a centaur." He spins back around to question it. An image of his version of a centaur appears, and I explain to him what it really looks like. Natsu has a weird image of a creepy flower. "That's not even close." I feel shivers up my spine from his image.

"You're all so carefree. It is as if you forgot that you face punishment when we get to the guild," Erza comments, pulling her load. The boys go to her to try to look for ways out of the punishment. I grin, knowing I am not going to be involved. "You as well will be receiving punishment from me for not keeping your promise." She points at me. I pale visibly.

"It's not like I had any choice! I didn't think it was the mission until we got there! You can't blame me for something I had no clue for," I beg frantically. She simply shakes her head while I internally plant a grave._ It wasn't even my fault! This is what I get for being nice to her! Ugh, I hate her logic._ I groan angrily. All of a sudden, Gray is clutching his head with complete fear in his eyes. "What's wrong with frosty?" I ask Happy.

"You're lucky you are getting punished by Erza. Master is gonna probably make us do that again." Happy pales and flies off. The cat has no clue how psycho Erza is on her own. I have seen what she is capable of with my own two hands. She is worse than any other being on this planet. Never piss her off, unless you have a death wish. She can make your worst realities come to life once she finds out.

"What is that?" I question Natsu, who seems to be unfazed by the idea of punishment. He has this happy smile on his face, which throws off the entire atmosphere. Erza then ruins his smile. To me, it sounds like the Master will take great pleasure in punishing the boys. Erza picks him by the collar and drags him away while he pleads. Gray still is shaking from the thing he cannot stand. I sigh at the situation and look at the sky. It seems peaceful, but a horrible feeling in my gut is telling me that it will end soon. "I must be going crazy," I mutter silently.

This feeling does not seem to go away, but intensifies greatly. Praying that the feeling will go away, a simple thought ruins it all. It's all your fault. Shaking off the feeling, I walk quietly to the guild. Gray eventually catches up with me and his expression seems calmer. "Something wrong?" he asks.

"Not sure. I have a bad feeling something is gonna go down, and it'll be my fault," I answer him sadly.

"Well we don't know what is coming, let alone it being your fault, so don't sweat on it. If it does come, then we will deal with it," he reassures me. I nod, feeling my mood getting better. "Now c'mon let's get back to the guild. Erza's gonna yell at us if we don't." I chuckle and go to the guild.

* * *

**Narrator's POV**

At Era, a mischievous plan settles uneasily. Ultear heads to Siegrain's office to report her failure on the retrieval mission. She sighs and runs her hands through her hair. The hallway is seemingly empty and dark, giving her a satisfying feeling. Knowing how her mother is involved with sealing Deliora, makes her furious. All she ever wanted was to be loved by her mother, but that was a dream taken away from a very young age.

Her wasn't easy, taken from home only to be abandoned by her mother. She was experimented on for her immense power, but overtime she grew to detest the idea. A few years later when she finally was free, she started researching magic that would allow her to alter the flow of time. Arc of Time, a lost magic that allows the user change an object's flow of time, however, it has no effect on living creatures. Reluctantly, there was a dark guild that was willing to change that.

Finding Zeref started to become her lifelong mission. By using him, she'd be able to create a new world where she can alter everything. She is so consumed by the idea of love and hatred, that she fails to see how everyone around her is suffering. She has killed and manipulated many lives into her bidding. Remorse is the only feeling she fails to lack. She has Jellal under the touch of hand, leaving the man in an empty shell of who he was forced to turn into. If she ever did feel the guilt of her actions, then no amount of retribution will ever make up for the pain she has caused.

She knocks on the door and comes in. "I'm quite disappointed Deliora didn't work out," she says, getting closer to Siegrain.

"Indeed, but we had no way of knowing that was in its last stages. For better or worse, this will prove useful later on for unsealing any other demons. I'd say it was a minor setback." Siegrain puts his book away and focuses on Ultear. "I will be more thorough next time. Sorry for wasting your time."

"That's fine. It was a good trip down memory lane. I would've hoped that wench's magic wasn't so powerful. It would've made the job easier." She sighs and puts away the mask she was holding.

"You shouldn't speak of your mother that way. Don't cause her to shed another tear," he states calmly. Though he has been a long time since he felt parental love, he respects his deceased parents. Oftentimes going back to his hometown to visit their resting place. "Your mother was a fantastic wizard. If I were to compare power, then I'd say she would've become one of the ten Wizard Saints. She is quite loved and respected."

"Don't give her too much credit. She was no saint. Her devotion to magic was what got her killed in the first place. It is no shocking news that my father left her. She may look like an angel to the public eye, but underneath it all is a heartless woman," Ultear argues defensively.

"They say the greater loss a person suffers, the more they triumph over."

"I hardly believe I was anything of a big loss. I might have been a damp in her progress." Her starts to slowly twitch. Her anger slowly boils. It pains her to see everyone compliment how great her mother was, but fails to see the bad deeds she has caused. Ultear watched and heard for years how everyone praised her mother, but that admiration slowly turned into hatred for Ultear. She would give up everything to once again love her mother and not hate her.

"Who knows, maybe she took on those students to fill the void yo-" Siegrain is cut off by Ultear placing a finger on his mouth.

"Can we not discuss this any further? Let's move onto the next phase." She sighs, allowing her anger to cool.

"Ultear your face. It's swollen." She holds her hand to her face and panics wildly. Flailing her hands in the air while trying to bite back the pain. Siegrain chuckles lightly at her delayed reaction. "You're just feeling it now?"

"That idiot Natsu punched me!" she exclaims angrily.

"Speaking of him, how was he? Did you find him worthy?" The curiosity in his eyes gives away his excitement.

"I didn't have to use half my power on him, but he is growing stronger. He rivals Lucy's own strength. If I had to compare, then I'd say they're matched right now."

"I'm not surprised." He turns his head and clenches his hand. "He's Igneel's son while Lucy is Celeste's daughter. Both hold impressive power and destruction rightfully to their dragons. I need them both to shine brightly for my dream to come true." He turns to Ultear. "Lucy was on the island. Did she find you?"

"Surprisingly no. She was somewhere else, and I managed to keep my distance from her, however, she was suspicious of me. I know for a fact she sensed me, and the fact I fixed the temple and village. It won't be long until she starts to ask questions."

"I'm well aware. Any news on the Galactis Guild?"

"From what I hear, they're working with Jude Heartfilia for a big mission, and somehow Phantom Lord is involved. Something about all of this is very suspicious."

"Indeed. Lucy ran away from her foster father about a year ago now, you don't think they're trying to forcefully get her back. If such conflict does go down, the council will go into a frenzy. It will be a violation of the Guild Treaty Act."

"I'm sure they wouldn't be that stupid to go through such extremes. And if they do, we will disband the guilds, but sadly can't touch Jude. The man has too much power to his name."

"Whatever the reason, it will cause a good distraction from our own plans. Tell Galactis that the plan is set into motion. But make sure to tell them to stay away from the Heartfilias'. It would cause great troubles if they were to be disbanded as well." Ultear nods and leaves to make the calls. He sets back into his desk and stares out the window. "Just a little more Erza Scarlet. Enjoy your remaining days before they fade away."

* * *

**And Done! I wanted to end the Galuna Arc shortly simply for the fact that bigger stuff will be going down in the next two arcs. And I had ideas to go into depth about Gray's life later on in a better setting. The Galactis Guild will have a heavy role into this story and will come up often. They are a light guild with dark intentions is all I can say. Now the story will start to get more serious, but will have its humorous and happy mood. **

**It will take some time for the oc's to make a move on the story primarily because of how I plan to run the story. **

**Anyways until then, c'ya in the next chapter! **

**I DO NOT OWN THE PLOT OR CHARACTERS APART FROM THE ALTERATIONS I MAKE WITH MY OWN OCS AND PLOT. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO HIRO MASHIMA. **


	10. Chapter 9-Selfish Actions

**Lucy's POV**

It has been a week since the Galuna incident, and since our team was punished by Master. Of course, neither Erza and I did nothing remotely wrong, but since we went as a team, Master felt it was right to punish all of us. The dreadful feeling from last week has yet to vanish. Moreover, it feels amplified. This sense of uneasiness is starting to weigh on me, but I do not know how to get rid of it. The feeling is starting to get in the way of my clear judgement, oftentimes finding myself paranoid with a simple matter.

To get my mind off it, I decided to take a solo mission. It paid around 10,000 jewels, and beat up some bandits in the next town. Only problem was that Erza and the boys decided to tag along. I love them, but sometimes I would kill for some alone time. The job was short and the town was in one piece, so we returned back early. I managed to put my feeling at ease, but it is still lurking.

"That job was awesome!" Natsu walks with a smile on his face. "And the town was intact," he cheers. He closes his eyes and puts his arms behind his head.

"You're just lucky I tagged along. If it hadn't been for me, you would've blown up the town. Then again you're just as helpful as Erza's suitcases." Gray dampens the mood. The two boys soon start a little argument only to be stopped by Erza and Gray's stripping. I sigh and call out my Canvis Minor Spirit, which I named Plue. He sits comfortably into my arms and closes his eyes. The little guy looks like a small snowman with arms and legs, which are not sticks.

"Sorry to break up your little scuffle," I cut in, "but why did you all come along? I mean it was a job request." I hold up the flyer with a bored expression.

"Well, we are Fairy Tail's strongest team. So we gotta stick together," Natsu answers happily. The rest of them approve, and I nod. "No job ain't tough for me, Happy, Erza, and droopy drawers."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" I mumble angrily.

"No need to get mad Loopy. We're just messin' with ya'," he tries to apologize.

"Well I don't appreciate it, and call me by my real name flame brain." I walk further up ahead. I hear Natsu fuming at me, and I slightly smile.

"I'm truly sorry for gettin-" I cut Erza off by smacking her head. The boys back away immediately, not to feel her wrath. I could care less about right now. She used me as bait to get the bandits to come out, it is only fitting I get some revenge. "You dare have the guts to challenge me?"

"You're on tomato. I got a nerve worked up thanks to me becoming a worm for fish food! Make me bait again, and I swear it'll be worse than anything." We start a small fight then and there while the boys look at us in fear. She may be the almighty Titania, but to me she is a plain old Erza, who has a completely weird common sense. "Also what kind of person asks to be smacked for a mistake? It ain't normal!" Eventually we stop to find people staring at us, but it feels different. They look more pitiful than shocked. That is when we draw our eyes up further.

"Why does the guild look so bizarre?" Erza asks shockingly. Up ahead, metal rods are coming out of the guild from every direction possible. That is the moment when I realized that the feeling has been getting, finally let loose. Cold sweat spread through my body as it stayed frozen. I manage to get out of state of shock and rush to the guild with the others behind me. The front is even worse as splinters of wood stick out. Graffiti sprayed all over the doors.

"Someone did this to our guild," Natsu states furiously. I clench my hand tightly and look down to the ground. Whoever did this, wanted something from the guild. I look up to examine the metal rods carefully. They look familiar, and judging by the fading smell, a dragon was here. Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord. There is no mistake that the metal rods are his. That settles who did it, but why? Is Phantom trying to stir up something with Fairy tail? Why go through such extremes and violate the Guild Treaty Act?"

"Phantom did this." We turn around to see Mira holding a solemn expression. "They got us when no one was around. They got us good," she says sadly. She leads us to the basement, where everyone is until they fix the upstairs. The mood down here is worse than it is outside. Everyone sitting on the floor or at tables with multiple expressions. I may not have been a member of this guild for long, but I would be damned to let anything happen to it on my watch. My anger slowly rises, but I manage to keep it in check not to do anything rash.

The basement looks rather homey than some I have been to. Crates, cobwebs, and wooden walls with cobblestone floors. I sigh and head to the Master, who is sitting on the crate with a flushed face and beer in hand. He must be drunk to hide his anger. He knows better not to start something that might ruin the future of the guild with a rash decision. I feel sympathy for them, especially since most of them have been here longer than I have. Something tells me that this is just the beginning. "Hello kids, good to see you made it back safely," Master greets us.

"Why are we just sitting down here?" Natsu demands. They bicker among themselves while I pay little attention to them. I try to think of ways to make sure Phantom Lord pays for their destruction. They have a crazy reputation like Fairy Tail, but they have been known to come off shadier than most guilds. Not even Quatro Cerberus, and they tend to be crazy. My thoughts scramble on until I feel a smack to my butt. I blink twice and look at Master with a dumbfounded expression.

Mira scolds Master, then he runs away to the bathroom. If I stay any longer here, then I might end up destroying the basement. I need to head to the forest to take out some of my anger on the trees, and calm down. "Master is mad, but the conflict between the guilds is strictly forbidden. I'm sure Lucy can explain to you why," Mira solemnly answers. The others look to me for answers.

"All falls under the Guild Treaty Act. Conflict between guilds will result in severe punishment and the disbanding of the guild. It is to make sure that light guilds are strongly united against the dark ones," I explain. They look to be shocked by the information. After coming back from Galuna, everyone knew I worked for the council. The surprise of knowing such information should not come as a shock, but I suppose most laws are quite confusing. I sigh and make my way to the stairs.

"Where are you goin'?" Natsu asks.

"Too cool down. If I don't find something to punch or break, I might as well storm Phantom before something bad happens," I tell him and look away. I could hear Erza reassuring them that I would not go through such extremes. "Also Erza, I won't be coming home until later. Don't wait up for me." With that, I leave. I make my way over to the East Forest with Plue by my side. After hours of taking out my anger, I grow tired of wanting to fight. I lay on the ground as I let the air cool down my aching muscles. My breath paces to itself to normal. I then notice that night has fallen, and decide to head back. I look at my body, which had scratches and cuts on my arms and legs.

I call Plue to come along and grab my stuff. The walk back is rather silent and peaceful. The gentle cold wind sways past me as the night sky shimmers brightly. "We are in a big pickle aren't we Plue," I tell him. He responds with a weird 'pun', which seems to be his way of answering. "I heard for a while that Fairy Tail started to rival Phantom, but I didn't think they'd be mad over it. Kinda' glad I stuck with Fairy Tail."

I walk into Fairy Hills and to my room. I open the door to find the boys with Erza. "I'm glad you are home safely," Erza answers. I nod and look at her for her answers. "Mira decided it'd be safer for everyone to stick together since the guild has been destroyed. We can presume Phantom members are in town."

I sigh reluctantly, knowing full well her words and logic had merit in it. "All right." Erza takes a moment to look at me sternly. I gulp silently by the stern expression on her face.

"Woah, what happened to you?" Gray asks.

"Well uh...kinda' went overboard with letting my anger out. I didn't notice all of these until I cooled down." I chuckle nervously while rubbing my neck. "They don't even hurt, so don't worry."

"They look like they sting," he retorts.

"Well it doesn't. Anyways, why huddle up in our space? I mean you and Natsu could've paired up. I'm surprised they even let you two in since this is the girls' dormitory." I put down my bag and sit on the couch.

"Like hell I'm gonna stick with that flame brain. Master kinda' gave permission as long as we don't do anything, we're in the clear." I nod and breathe out in relaxation. Nothing triumphs relaxing after a workout session. Soon I hear Erza shout at Happy and Natsu for eating our stash of candies. I smile and almost tease her when I realize I am in no condition to fight. Plue comes to sit on my lap before being swooped up by Erza. She looks at him before smiling and smothering the pure spirit.

"Listen up, I refuse to let you two sleep before taking a bath. I do not want our room reeking of your sweat," Erza demands. I get off the couch and glance at Plue. Erza does not want to let the guy go, and I cannot help but sympathize for him. The boys refuse to obey her command. This gives me the opportunity to slip into the bath. I make my way to the bathroom before evidently freezing from Erza's remark. "C'mon boys, do we have to take a bath together like we were kids."

"On second thought, I think I'll go first. I need to take care of my wounds, and I don't think I can be near the three of you," I state. In a split second, Erza is in front of me and takes me inside the bathroom. She locks the door and pulls out the first aid kit. "Uh, why don't we first take a bath?" She nods and prepares the tub. In a few minutes, we are already in it. I feel content with how my muscles relax into the hot water. After a little time, we get out. Erza patches up some of my wounds on my knuckles. "Thanks." I look away.

"You should be more careful next time. Venting isn't an excuse to get hurt. Are we clear?" I nod and give her a small smile. I put on nightwear and scarf while Erza requips it. We get out to let the boys take a bath. They agree after some persuasion from Erza. "What has been bothering you?" she asks. She sits on the couch, facing me directly. I sigh and sit beside her.

"Honestly, I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling about what's about to go down. I can't shake the feeling." I fall back comfortably. "Call it a premonition or whatever, but I have a feeling that Phantom isn't done with us."

"Hopefully nothing happens. Just have some faith." She gets up and goes over to a desk to pick up a stack of papers. "I didn't know you could write," she mutters.

"When you have nothing to do after training and reading books, you tend to do things beyond your own expectations." I walk over to her. I see her struggle reading my draft. "Um, are you having trouble reading it?" Her face heats up and nods slowly. I bite back my laughter and stare at her. "Well, this is strange. Why are you having trouble in the first place? I heard from other people you taught Natsu how to read and write, so I'm kinda' shocked." She says nothing and stares at the papers with embarrassment written on her face. "I'll tell you what, why don't we go over some vocabulary after the little sleepover is done?" She nods.

The boys come out and join us. Gray dives for the stack of papers in Erza's hand. I get it and tell him to back off. The only people who can read my writing is Erza because it is funny seeing her try to read it and Levy McGarden. She is a small blue haired girl with a knack for reading. It seems to suit her and her magic. "So anyone mind telling me why Phantom attacked us out of the blue?" I ask.

"Not too sure. We have had our fair scuffles with them in the past, but nothing of this magnitude," Erza answers.

"If Gramps wasn't being such a wimp, we could've mopped the floor with those jerks," Natsu mumbles. I look at him with an odd expression.

"C'mon Natsu, you seem to be forgetting Master is one of the Ten Wizard Saints," Gray jumps in. I remember reading somewhere that Makarov is at number five on that particular list. I doubt he has any care for the rank as he does for his position as master in the guild.

"Okay, fair point. But you're forgetting that Phantom's Master Jose is also one of them. But if we were to go to war with them, which side would win?" I ask no one. Both guilds are powerhouses on their own. It wasn't until recent times did Fairy Tail start making a bigger name for themselves than in the past. Thanks to names like Titania, Laxus, and Mystogan, it's no wonder Phantom would be gunning at us for the number one spot.

"If we were to engage in battle with them, neither side would survive," Erza states. "Their strength equals ours." She stands up from the couch. "As Lucy stated before, Jose is a Wizard Saint, so he is on par with Makarov. They have an elite group of wizards similar to our S-class, known as the Element Four. But that isn't the biggest threat. I'm afraid that their biggest is Black Steel Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer." I growl at hearing Gajeel's name. That man is a jerk if I ever met one. I ran into him a few times at the council. He is what you call a special case of disgusting.

"That guy is an idiot and a jerk. I hate his guts. He may be a dragon slayer, but he got nothing on Natsu and I. If I ever run into that guy again, then I'm gonna beat the hell out of him." I close my eyes to calm my nerves once again.

"Wait, did Gajeel get raised by a dragon?" asks a curious Natsu.

"Yeah, but he never told me where his dragon went. I almost went head to head with him if it weren't for the council pitching in to stop us. If you run into him, then ask him about it." He nods then yawns. "Might as well get some sleep. It's late." I get up and stop at the hallway. "Uh, so who's taking which bed? I mean Erza and I could share one while you two share the other."

"No way in hell am I sharing a bed with a stripper." Natsu huffs. They get into an argument before being split by Erza. She finds a solution to the problem. She lets one of them sleep on the couch and other in Erza's bed while both of us sleep on mine. They agree, not wanting to get beat up again. Gray goes for the bed while Natsu settles for the couch. Both of them fall asleep immediately. Erza and I head to bed as well.

We face away from each other. I stare at the night sky through the window, finding some peace. Stargazing always seemed to calm my nerves and worries. Maybe it is because Celeste is somehow watching me from there, or perhaps there is some deep satisfaction that I am not alone in my worries. Erza falls asleep before me and ends up spooning me. She has her head buried in my chest while arms encircle around me tightly as if she is afraid to let go.

"What am I gonna do with you?" I push away some hair on her face. That is when I notice her right eye. No scar or anything around it. As if it is completely new, but I know better. She has many scars emotionally and physically, but she never says anything about it. Never let anyone know how painful it is to have them. Keeping up a wall to push anyone away with fear. "It's fine to let your guard down Erza. It's not like anyone is going to blame you for it." I sigh. She never shows her weakness or let's anyone in. It hurts watching her lie to herself and everyone, and I watch as she loses herself.

* * *

**Narrator's POV (Omniscient)**

The whisks of the peaceful night sways silently under the sleeping city. Everyone covered in beds with dreams or nightmares of the days ahead or before. Yet, there is a group of three wizards walking cheerfully at midnight. A young girl with blue hair trots ahead of her two companions with pride. The boys continue to have a bicker among themselves as the girl giggles at their intelligence. They grumble angrily, but never utters a word of complaint to the girl. "Aw, c'mon guys. I was only joking. Besides, we three are a team. Buck up and grow a pair and let's go to Jet's house," Levy suggests to Jet, a teenager with orange hair, and Droy, a teenager with dark black hair.

"Are you sure Levy? I mean you could go back to the dorms with the girls. I heard Mira lend permission to the boys as long as they behave," Droy argues.

"Like I said before, we are a team. So we gotta stick together." She smiles, and the boys also cheer up excitedly. They continue heading toward Jet's when a sudden sense of magic surrounds them. They get in position, but before any of them could predict what would happen, a metal rod connects to Levy's head, instantly knocking her out with one blow from the impact. Her body is sent back into some crates, where her body lies limp. The boys call out to her, but fail.

"Man, you fairies are pathetic," Gajeel teases. He jumps from one of the roofs to land in front of the two men. His built features show off his intense training he went through to attain such power. On the right bicep, lies the Phantom Guild Mark, a squiggle that ends with a dot at the top. His tanned skin, red eyes, metal eyebrows, and black hair, give him a cruel heartless look. He has a mission, and he plans to complete it with pride. "Beating you to a bloody pulp, will surely get your friends to come at us." He smirks, showing his fangs. The boys are fed up and go in for the attack.

Jet uses his speed magic around Gajeel, hoping to create a gush of air to knock make someone faint while providing a little disadvantage to sight with the dust piling up. He keeps a steady distance to make sure Gajeel's attack has no effect. Droy pitches in with his plant magic. Throwing some seeds into the ground, the vines start to go spin in the same direction as the wind. He controls his magic to make a sturdier vines to pierce through the wind barrier and capture Gajeel. After building up enough speed, Jet stops running to go help Levy.

Within the barrier, Gajeel smirks deviously. Though the plan was smart, it would prove fruitless against his magic. After sensing Jet leaving, he makes his arm into a sword to create enough pressure to cut the wind with his own force of power. After successfully cutting it down, his body is captured by vines. He growls menacingly at the attempt. He has no desire to be here, but he wants to be spared from the lecture. He decides to turn his body into metal spikes, cutting the vines quickly. The boys gasp in shock, but wears off quickly. Jet charges for Gajeel. As he is about to hit, a metal rod attacks his body, and he sent tumbling backwards. Droy uses the plants to give him a boost into the air from behind to send a kick. Gajeel catches his leg and pulls him down. Stepping on his knee, Droy cries out in pain as he feels his knee shattering.

Jet gets back up to save Droy. He gets beside Gajeel to punch him. Gajeel loses his balance and gets swiped back slightly. Jet gets into a faster speed to deliver several punches from a faster speed to create better momentum and power. Gajeel is hit mercilessly with no chance to defend. Jet kicks Gajeel in the gut, to send Gajeel falling backwards into a box of crates. Jet's breathing paces quickly and his nerves work up. He is furious that his friends are hurt under his watch while he had no chance to help. Droy with enough willpower, wraps Gajeel around the vines again with even more strength. He uses his power to wrap a piece of vine around his waist to help him move around.

Gajeel's bruises sting added with the vines crushing him, his bones hurt. His mind in a haze of things after Jet's blows. The area around him sways, but not enough to knock him out. He bites his lips hard enough to make them bleed, to register the pain to get rid of the dizziness. Jet steps forward to glare. "Why did you attack my friends?!" He growls furiously. Gajeel's ears twitch slightly at the shout, but keeps calm and silent. Instead, a malicious smirk plays upon his lips.

"Simple, I got tired of you idiots showin' up my guild. So, I decided to stop by to settle things." He lies perfectly. If they were to ever know his full intent, then it would surely put a damper on Phantom's true objective. Now or never, Gajeel once again uses the same move to free himself, and punches Jet in the face. Noticing Droy, Gajeel decides to make a sword out of his arm and cut the vines. Droy falls to the ground in a cry of pain. His broken knee giving out painfully. He clutches it in hopes to lessen the pain, but a shadow stands in front of him. Jet breathes heavily as his forehead is bleeding heavily. Several scratches all over his body from being thrown around. A busted lip and a swollen jaw. "What are we playing hero now?" he teases.

"I won't let you hurt my friends. Not while I'm here," Jet breathes out. Droy pleads to leave before it gets any worse, but they fell on deaf ears.

"I'm kinda getting tired playing with fairies. I wanted to go after Salamander or Titania. Or perhaps, Unova. I heard she joined your guild not too recently. It'd be fun to catch up on old times." Gajeel uses his metal rod to punch Jet in the stomach hard enough to form a bruise and for Jet to cough up blood. He falls to the ground clutching his stomach while he hears a laugh. Gajeel having enough of torturing the two, decides to put an end to all of this. He leans his head back while balancing his body. He breathes sharply to hold it. "Iron Dragon: Roar!" A swirl of iron directly attacks the boys as they cry out in pain.

Everything becomes silent as the wind. The path is in ruins as is the area from the fighting. Jet and Droy lie on the ground breathing heavily as their bodies cry out in pain. The wounds become worse as the blood starts to flow out slowly from Gajeel's attack. Eyes closed, the team lost to one man, who barely tried against them. Gajeel relieves a breath of victory. A swish of wind against his injuries, remind him that the mission is not complete yet. He walks over to Levy, who is still soundly passed out against the crates. He tears open her shirt to leave her in a bra. He decides to use Jet's blood and print the Phantom mark onto Levy's stomach as a present to the fairies. He picks all of them up and heads to the Magnolia South Gate Park.

He nears a big tree, that stood out against all the others. He drops the boys against the grass. He holds Levy tightly and creates spikes on his feet to climb the tree. Climbing to a good point, he creates some iron cuffs and places them around Levy on full display. He does the same to the boys before dropping to the ground. He looks at them proudly before walking back to his guild. Not much time passes by when he gets to his guild. The members are still in the guild drinking happily. He takes a seat and starts to munch on some silverware. One of the members laughs at him, but he silences them by punching them. Everyone else starts to cheer before being silenced by Jose.

"My boy, you've done well," he compliments proudly.

"I didn't think we did much to them by destroying their puny guild, so I decided to leave them a welcome gift." Gajeel smirks and recounts the events of the nights.

"Good, but make sure no one hurts the target, or else they'll be hell to pay," Jose warns. Soon the guild erupted into cheers and all goes well before one by one pass out from exhaustion.

* * *

The rest of the night passes. As the dawn of the new day arises, the damaged pathway goes under investigation. People surround the area to gasp in horror from the damage and liquids of blood. They soon follow the trail of blood, which leads them to the park. When they get there, all of their shock turns into fear. Three of the Fairy Tail members lie injured and held against the tree. Rumors ran wildly and soon, the whole town knew. The members were taken down carefully and sent to the Magnolia Hospital. The workers started to clean up the park and tree while the others put the damaged pathway under construction. The news reaches the mayor's ears.

He sighs remorsefully at the news. Considering how the guild has helped the town for a long time, he heads to the broken guild hall to break the news. He passes through the rubble of the guild and heads for the basement. As he steps down to the final step to greet, everyone stands up to see the mayor. Master and a few others step forward to see the commotion. "Hello Fairy Tail," the mayor greets with a hint of sadness.

"Mayor Gustav, what pleasure do we owe for you to come," Master says surprisingly.

"I'm sorry Makarov, but I'm not here under happy news." Everyone soon gets closer to see what Gustav means. "This morning, my workers and the citizens of the town have found three of your guild members stuck to a tree heavily injured and unconscious." They all freeze in their spot. Some start to shake from hearing the news while others remain frozen. Mira starts to tear up as Elfman goes to comfort his sister. Master stands there with a dreadful and furious impression while Natsu and his team feel their anger boiling.

"Could you tell us who they are?" Makarov asks almost inaudibly.

"I believe the hospital identified them as Levy, Jet, and Droy." Members start to cry while others rage for revenge. "According to some investigations, I believe that Phantom may be held accountable for this, but we are not sure at this time." Makarov nods. "I know this may be hard on you, but you must stay strong. I'm sure you will find a way to avenge your friends. I must get going now. Good luck Makarov." Gustav leaves with nothing more. Lucy starts to walk away from the rest of the group and heads out.

She walks slowly towards the hospital without much intent. Her anger boils to no amount and her nerves crack at her. She feels her magic bubbling up and cools it down before anything fatal occurs. She stops when she feels a metallic arm grab her arm. "Where are you going?" Erza glares at her.

"I'm going to the hospital. I need to know what those bastards did to Levy and the others." Lucy frees herself and starts to walk again. Erza joins, but the two are lost in thought. When they enter Levy's room, the boys are beside her. In the same position as her, but more gravely wounded. Both take a sharp breath before walking to each of their beds. The guilt stricken girls are at a loss of words. Though Lucy has not been a member long, she feels a sense of responsibility over her friends. A few minutes passed by, yet not a single word had been muttered.

Soon, Makarov enters the room. None of them say anything, but look toward their comrades. Makarov sighs sadly and takes a seat in one of the chairs. He looks out the window. In the far distance, lies the guild hall in shambles of the poles. He feels his pulse increase. He has been a grandfather or even a father to these kids. They had no blood relation, but it didn't stop them from having a loving bond among them. He starts to consider the consequences of going to war with Phantom, but he feels a need to do so. He needs to avenge his children, not only for their pride, but also family.

He closes his eyes and stands up. "Lucy." She turns to face Makarov. If they were to go to war, he needs to have the full repercussions. But also, whether or not if the guild will be disbanded. "I'm sure you know the full consequences of all of this." She nods, but she senses something is off. "Fairy Tail will attack Phantom for what they did. But I need to know, if that were to occur, will our guild be disbanded?"

She stays silent. She is fully aware of the situation, but the consequences heavily depended on the council. They are the control tower of Fiore, so it would stand to reason as such. She feels a solemn presence around her body. The situation seemed so dim. She puts her head down, staring at the ground. She frowns, feeling her mouth go dry. "Since Phantom attacked first, I think the guild would be in the clear. But I'm not sure. It all depends on the council and severity of the situation." She feels guiltier. She remembers a certain mission from long ago, but she forgets it. She needs to keep her head cool.

Makarov weighs the pros and cons before facing both women. "Thank you for the information Lucy. Erza get the others ready to head to Phantom, we need to show them why they never should have messed with Fairy Tail. Lucy, could you do me a favor and stay here to take care of Mira and the others?" He knows she feels, but he needs to make sure someone protects the ones who refuse to go. He wants to make sure they fall under a trick.

"Yeah, yer' right anyways." Lucy holds off any arguments. That could be settled for another. They have bigger problems to face than pity arguments. She wishes Erza and Makarov good luck before they leave. She sits on a chair near the window, beside Levy. She hates hospitals. It always reminded her of the unnecessary deaths that she failed to protect. She clenches her hand and looks at the bare room. Simple couch, table, and a television lacrima. Her knuckles sting from last night's session. She sits on the couch and turns on the television lacrima. If she ponders any longer of the situation, she might lose her mind.

* * *

Fairy Tail wastes no time to rush into Oak Town. Each member had their own reasons for fighting, but in the end it is to avenge their comrades. The walk through the town as the citizens stay far from the group. Minutes pass, they stand at the Phantom Guild Hall. An enormous medieval castle, stretching quite high, which separates into three tall stand alone towers. Natsu creates an explosion, breaking down the door while taking a few Phantom members out. "Fairy Tail has come knocking!" Makarov's voice thunders.

Both sides dash each other. Raging battle cries soar across the hall. The massive dim walls and cobblestone floor becomes floured with life. Tables and chairs scattered or broke, lie in the midst of the chaos. A brush of fierce fire runs wildly, burning several mages while others narrowly escape it. Fairy Tail splits up into two major groups, taking on each side of the opposing. Heaps of magic spill out in utter disaster as Makarov becomes fed up with the situation. From above, Gajeel watches carefully the fight below from the support beams of the hall. "They're good for a couple of losers." He smiles and waits patiently to drop in on them.

Makarov uses his magic to increase the height and strength of his power by turning into a giant. Using his arms, he creates enough wind to blow the Phantom mages away. He walks toward the middle, swiping left and right for the opposing mages while being mindful of his own. Clearing out nearly half of them on the bottom, he makes his way for the top, where clears up even more. Several try to knock him down, but all to fail with magic power surrounding him. He wastes no time to clear more while leaving the rest to his children. He reverts back to normal, making his way to the top of the castle.

He makes it up there while unleashing several loads of magic energy if anyone were to stand in his path. A few attempt to attack, but the magic power hits them before they could reach him. The magic intensifies, breaking the floor and walls around him. Destroying the door, he finds Jose sitting in a chair with a bored expression. He walks up to him and stops. "Jose," he growls audibly.

"Makarov, to what do I owe you this visit?" Jose asks knowingly. He sits up and approaches Makarov. Having enough of the nuisance, Makarov enlarges his arm and directly aims at Jose. As the rubble clears, Jose's form twitches like a hologram.

"Coward! You don't even have the guts to face me! You just ran with your tail between your legs." Makarov glares at the hologram, feeling his blood rushing.

"Now, why don't we talk this out like beings instead of barbarians?" Jose suggests.

"I didn't come here for a tea party! Why are you attacking my guild?"

"I suppose you could know. Though I don't think it would matter, considering the following events." Jose smirks and walks closely to Makarov. "My guild has been hired by Jude Heartfilia to bring his daughter back home."

"What does that have to do with my guild?" Makarov's patience draws thinner by the second.

"She didn't tell you. Ha, and here I thought you knew," he pauses before putting his arms into the air dramatically. "Jude's adopted daughter is none other than Lucy Heartfilia!" Makarov freezes in his spot. His mind goes array, before stopping. He knows Lucy is a very reserved person despite her extrovert personality. Over the past week, he has noticed Lucy's awkward silence and uneasiness. Though she was trying to fool everyone, he saw right through the little act. Did she know Phantom was going to attack the guild? He ponders.

Before he could ask anymore questions, Jose activates his magic and teleports Makarov into Aria, a member of the Element Four's, air space. Makarov finds his breathing become heavy as his body gasps for more air. He drops to his knees gasping for air. Aria comes up behind him and begins a spell. He starts to chant, and Makarov's magic drains. Using the air, the creates a strong force, pushing Makarov down. Falling through several floors, Makarov lands head first into the ground.

The surrounding Fairy Tail members gather around him quickly while the others protect them from Phantom's attacks. Natsu growls furiously as he stares at Gajeel. Some point in the fighting, Gajeel had about enough waiting and joined in. The two face off in a glaring contest. Natsu lights up his hand and charges for Gajeel. Evading swiftly to the left, Gajeel extends his arm into a rod to stop Natsu and hit him directly.

Falling to the floor and grunting, Natsu stands up clutching his stomach. He sees Makarov struggling to hold onto breathing, and vows to take Gajeel down faster. Gajeel sees the distraction, aims for Natsu's head with his rod. Natsu fails to dodge and takes the attack head on, falling back several meters. He starts to blurs and the room spins slightly. He bites his lip and stands up, pushing the aching pain. Heating up his whole body in flames, he punches Gajeel in the jaw. Followed by several kicks and punches, Gajeel uses his rod to make several to distract Natsu. Several rods break the Phantom title, and falls on Natsu.

Natsu barely dodges backward. Moving to the right, he delivers a swift kick to Gajeel's side. One hand on the ground to balance his body, Natsu lights up his other leg to knock a blow to Gajeel's face. The two struggle to put the other down despite their valiant efforts. Both of them look at the other with straggly breaths. Another tempt of charging before an block of ice blocks them both. Gajeel hears Aria calling to retreat, and immediately backs off. "What the hell Gray? I had him!" Natsu lets out his frustration.

"Look man, I get it. Master is injured and so are the others. More of them keep coming, so if we go toe to toe now, we'd lose," Gray reasons. He feels his own frustration gaining on him, but restrains his hold. He tugs Natsu toward the exit as they follow the others out.

* * *

Lucy trots her way to the guild, after securing her friend's conditions. She feels a little breather would help her clear her troubled thoughts. It is peaceful almost soothing, but that simple tranquility before the storm, scares her wits. The past two years of working for the council, taught her many things about the world. Especially her dislike for royal and powerful positions.

The idea is simple, yet the simplicity makes everything harder. One person controls the vast network while millions suffer. She felt the death and murders of many lives in her hands. Calling her a saint is an understatement. She has taken down many dark guilds, but that alone never gave her the satisfaction. A desire for peace drove her to madness. She had two goals over two years- find Celeste and keep her sanity. Mages feared her nickname, but she hates it. Priority for her death over innocents, never sat well with her.

This situation was all too familiar to Lucy. A grasp of revenge turns into a manslaughter. Though she knows neither guild is capable of such atrocities, the thought of it makes her grimace. She has faith in her guild, but she feels like a pawn in a much larger scheme. She shakes her head and continues walking. Soon, the sun is covered by a plaster of clouds. "That's odd," she murmurs.

"Drip drop," a woman with blue hair repeats continuously. She walks slowly towards Lucy. She frowns when she sees Lucy, but keeps walking. Lucy eyes the woman quizzically. She knows the sudden weather change is not normal, unless magic is involved. She guesses the woman has a hard time controlling Water Magic to cause this. "I'll be leaving now. Goodbye." The odd woman pulls out an umbrella and continues to ignore Lucy.

"Um, bye?" It comes out more of a question than an answer. Lucy starts to walk away when a figure pulls out from the ground. His brown coat and green already sends warning signals to Lucy. Then it came. Two members of the Element Four, Juvia and Monsieur Sol, surrounded her in a matter of seconds. Lucy grits her teeth and backs away from both of them. "Two versus one really ain't fair," Lucy chastises.

"We are not here to fight," Monsieur Sol chimes in. "Our task is to simple retrieve you Miss Lucy." He stands beside Juvia, crossing his arms firmly. "It would be of great help if you come willingly."

"You expect me to come easily after destroying my guild and hurting my friends!" Lucy rages. She turns to them with a scowl on her face. She clenches her fist, nearly turning white. "Right now, I only care about getting revenge for them." She gets in position to fight.

"This surely is troublesome. I'll ask nicely one more time. Miss Lucy Heartfilia please come willingly with us. Lucy's blood freezes. Her arms drop to her side while she looks at her opponents with shock. How do they know my last name!? Lucy's mind goes haywire.

"How do you know my last name?" Her voice lost all the confidence. She feels her body shaking in bits, but keeps her posture. The awful feeling rushes her system in unwanted waves. She finally understands why it is her fault.

Sol huffs in annoyance and glares at Lucy. "Your such an idiotic child! Your father, Jude Heartfilia, hired our guild to take you back home." She feels her nerves burning up. Her magic rises to lethal levels. She never called Jude her father, and now, that name is far from reality.

"I'm not going. You hurt my comrades." Her aura and demeanor turns murderous. Lucy snaps and charges for Sol. He blocks her right hand with his left, but she knees his gut. He loses his balance, and Lucy swipes his left side with her leg. He falls back clutching his side and glares at her. He ushers Juvia to stay back. He takes a deep breath and stands up.

"I suppose we could make this difficult. As a member of Phantom, I won't lose to Fairy scum!" He fumes. Sol stamps on the ground, sending a pillar of the earth towards Lucy. She jumps above and stands on it. She eyes her surroundings. She is standing in an alleyway in the middle of the city. If she fights them, then she needs to take it outside the city. The destruction was already enough, if the city gets destroyed in the process, it would be futile. She smirks, her plan already in place.

"I don't plan to lose to bastards like you!" She takes off in a running fit. Her sense of smell is dulled by the pouring rain. She feels and hears them coming for her. It takes a few minutes, but they finally make it outside the city. She stops, collecting her breath. Lucy feels the ground trembling and jumps up high. A fist of rock connects her stomach, and her breath gets knocked out of her. She falls to the ground to hear laughter.

"You're pathetic! I expected more from a Heartfilia, or should I say Unova?" She grits her teeth in pain. She energizes her fist and glares at the man. She refuses to give him any pleasure of her cries of pain, but rather power. She says nothing and charges for him. Sol already excepted the attack and creates a wall ahead of him to block her attack. Lucy uses her magic to explode the star energy beneath her feet to get higher than the wall. He looks at her in shock before jumping back to avoid the attack. The ground cracks into pieces as energy residue flows out.

Lucy brightens her body intensely to blind her enemies. She uses her hearing to get to Sol and square a blow to his face. He stumbles a little, but grabs Lucy's arms. He swipes a blow to her side and jabs her face. Lucy feels the effects of the attack, but stomps on Sol's foot. He bites his lip to stop the scream, but misses the punch to his stomach. He shakes off the numbing pain and charges at her. Both exchange an equal amount of blows before stepping away. Lucy roars a beam of energy towards him quickly.

Sol takes the hit head on and falls on the ground. He breathes heavily and smashes his hand into the ground. His magic fully allows the complete control of the earth, with a few additions to it. He gets up and clenches his fist. He stomps his foot into the ground again, but this gives him something different. The earth pulls above and circles around Lucy's body. Once it surrounds her, it tightens its hold. She cries out in pain. She gathers her magic and extends the energy to scatter from her body.

The hold breaks and she pants heavily. "That all you got?" Lucy teases him. She builds up her magic in her body at a steady pace. Feeling her veins and blood pulsing faster, she rushes for Sol. He moves to the left, but she gets him in the gut. Moving faster than before, she circles and hits him several times before he catches her fist. He grabs her neck and shoves her into the ground. He gets above her and uses his magic to cast a spell. A special ability to cause the victim a bitter trip down memory lane depending on anything. Lucy's mind and body freeze. Stones litter her body while she feels her soul evading her body.

* * *

Crystal Town had a little run in with a couple of rogue mages. Many of those mages cause harm to innocents, public property, or even in trouble in general. The nuisance of the problem spiraled out of control too quickly for the town to deal with. The town requested the help of nearby guilds to get rid of the problem, only to be given the request to Lucy.

She had been noticing the bandits' little excursion around town, which made her sick. She still had been warily watching over Erza's healing body. Erza was malnourished, and most of her body still had features younger than her current state. which posed health risks. Luckily, with enough rest and food, her body would start aging properly.

Lucy felt cheery when she heard the news. It had been over a week since they arrived, and she had been worried about Erza's health. Though she would never show or admit to Erza for the sake of showing Erza that there would be nothing to fear. Erza had been quiet about the whole ordeal. Lucy knew that Erza hadn't told her about the extent about the tower, and Lucy was never the one to push. She gave Erza the space that was needed.

Lucy was happy she was about Erza's condition, but she still felt bad about the town's position. So, she took it upon herself to get rid of the mages herself. When she told Erza her plan, the girl grabbed onto Lucy for dear life. "Are you crazy? There are more of them than you, and they're mages!" Erza yells at her.

Lucy looks at her with some confusion. "They're probably nothing. I mean it's just a few of them, so I could probably take them myself. No biggie," she reasons calmly. Erza argues with her before giving up.

"At least let me help you," Erza offers. Lucy looks at her crazily before denying the offer. "You'll need help taking them out, so let me help."

"No, you're still injured." Lucy leaves no room for argument. She starts to head out of the hospital room before she is tackled to the floor. "What's the big deal.."She trails off when she notices Erza crying.

"Please let me help you. I don't want to lose you," Erza whispers into her ear. Lucy freezes without knowing what to do. She bites her lip and sighs.

"Fine, but you have to listen to what I say. Got it?" Erza smiles and nods before getting off and lending a hand to her friend. Lucy looks at her before grabbing it. She knows full well Erza is strong, but the girl barely has any experience in fighting or magic. She makes a mental note to keep an extra on Erza.

After leaving the hospital and getting permission from the mayor, Lucy and Erza set out for the hideout. Neither spoke to the other while Lucy kept a keen eye on Erza. If anything went wrong, she would make sure Erza would get out safely. A few minutes later, and they reach the hideout.

Lucy starts off getting the easier members quickly. She knew for a fact there were quite a few, but that did not limit her options. Whatever she lacks in strength and power, she makes it up with wits and reflexes. After some time, a significant majority of the members were dealt with and only a few remained. Lucy watched Erza carefully, but noticed how resourceful Erza had been. She had been following Lucy's strategy of using her wits instead of her strength. It was relatively easy though a few times they had seen through Erza's tricks, but Lucy made sure they laid no finger on Erza.

"Lucy, are you okay?" Lucy eyes Erza carefully. Lucy's stamina started to drain as well as her magic. She needed to finish the rest of them off before it becomes too much. All those fights at the clubs and caravans paid off over the past month.

"Yeah," Lucy breathes out. "Let's finish off the rest of them. I'm kinda getting hungry." She grins cheekily at Erza.

"You're always thinking about food! Don't you think about anything else," Erza huffs out in frustration.

"Hmm, nope! Besides, food is delicious!" Lucy feels her mouth watering up. She grabs a sword from one of the fallen mages and uses it to take a few of the others out. She knew she had no clue about swordsmanship, but if it proved to be helpful in taking out enemies, then she would not care about learning it properly. She prefers using hand-to-hand combat than weapons.

Twenty minutes passed, and they managed to finish off the remaining mages. "We..we did it!" Erza cheers. Lucy smiles at her. She was proud of Erza learning to fend for herself. Lucy knows Erza would not let the past cloud judgement, but it would cause some physiological issues in the future.

"Yeah we did! My body hurts," Lucy whines. She was not invincible, but her adrenaline rushes often canceled out the pain in her body before it ran out. Lucy laughs as Erza apologies for not noticing the injuries. "It's no biggie, so chill. It won't be the first, nor the last." She feels her muscles aching, but smiles through the pain.

If time slowed down just enough for Lucy, then she could have prevented what would occur next. She watches in horror as Erza's body falls onto the floor with several sword scratches. "My, my, you children should've known not to mess with adults. Didn't your parents teach you respect for your elders?" a single mage remarks with a smirk. Lucy felt her body run cold.

"You're gonna pay!" She charges at the man at full speed. He dodges efficiently to the right. Lucy skids her feet to a stop before using her magic to explode her back, giving her a boost in speed and strength. "Celestial Dragon: Destruction Fist!" Her attack makes the tumble in his balance, but he keeps standing.

"How pitiful. I expected more from you, considering how you took out many of my men. Maybe, they burned through your magic and stamina," the mage retorts even more. Lucy grits her teeth tightly. She could not waste time on him when Erza bleeds out. She lets her magic cover herself. She feels her animal-like instincts take over. A simple do or die situation played into her mind. She glares menacingly at the mage and charges for him at a faster speed.

Having a speed advantage, she lands several blows on him. Leaving him dazed, Lucy grabs his sword and stabs him through the heart. He cries out in immense pain, but she pays no heed. "I don't forgive those who hurt my friends." She rushes to Erza and runs for the nearest hospital.

When the doctors take Erza into surgery, Lucy feels her adrenaline leave her body. She collapses into a seat. That is when she finally realizes what she did. She killed a man out of pure anger and hatred. She feels her whole body shake in fear._ I killed someone and let Erza get hurt._ Her subconscious repeats constantly in her brain. That was also the first time she felt helpless as she watched Erza get hurt. A looming fear of regret plagues her mind. Nothing she could do to revert time. That day she broke a promise and killed someone in cold blood.

* * *

Lucy's eyes snap open. She looks around to see she is still outside Magnolia. Her body feels numb and heavy. She tries to move her arm, but feels some restraint. Stones immobilized her movement. She hears Sol coming closer to her, and grits her teeth. She builds up her magic within her and let's it burst open. She is freed and turns to glare at Sol. He looks at her in surprise. "How can you move? It's impossible!" He loses his composure. He feels her predatory instincts and panics.

"I don't appreciate going down memory lane pal." She energizes her fists and walks closer to Sol. "But if it weren't for that, then maybe I wouldn't have the push to beat the living daylights out of you." She pushes her fist in her stomach and extends the magic to send him flying backwards. He coughs up and struggles to get up. The attack left him heavily wounded in his stomach. The star energy pierced through enough to cause blood to flow out. And with the previous injuries, he gives up the desire to fight. If they did fight, it is too much of a hassle, especially since there are other ways to get his target. He notices the amount of power she is emitting, and he knows he has nowhere enough power to beat her. He knows fully well the power of a dragon slayer. He has heard the tales of her power, and he knows better not to provoke her.

"You win, just leave me alone," pleads Sol. Lucy walks closer to him with a determined look. He can see the animal-like instincts playing her. She powers her fist and brings it closer to his face. He pleads for her to leave him in mercy, but she pays no heed. She stops and picks him by the collar.

"I'm not going to kill you," she states angrily. "But if you ever threaten my guild again, there will be hell to pay." She drops him and walks away. Sol breathes easier, but he knows he got lucky. If he had to compare Gajeel and her, then he would say Lucy has an upper hand with speed. Not to say she has power, but her speed would benefit her more in this situation. Lucy notices Juvia standing away from both of them with fear. Lucy frowns when she realizes how out of control she got. It had been a while since someone had gotten her that riled up. She has a luring feeling that it might be more common. If she fails to keep her emotions in check, then she might kill someone again. She sighs and runs a hand through her soaked hair. She comes close to Juvia without wanting to scare anyone else. "Hey, you doin' okay?" She tries to sympathize with Juvia.

"How can you.." Juvia trails off. She is utterly terrified of Lucy. The woman could have killed her comrade without a second thought, but stopped at the last second. She barely feels a fear, but at this moment, she would have no qualm in denying she feared the other mage. Lucy looks at her warily before putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Look I'm not gonna hurt you, unless you try anything funny. I'm somewhat reasonable than some of my guild mates. Why don't we try to become friends? You seem nicer than your buddy," Lucy says nicely. She genuinely feels something different about Juvia than the other members. Juvia has a looming look that Lucy has seen before, but she fails to remember what it means. Juvia looks at Lucy in shock.

"You want to be my friend?" Juvia sputters out.

"Yeah. You seem cooler than your guild. No offense." Lucy rubs the back of her neck slowly. She starts to feel the fatigue of the fight. Given her knuckles already sobbing, her mind seems to be hazy as well.

"But, I thought you hated my guild, so why be nice to me?" Juvia tries to find a logical reason for Lucy's behavior, but comes up empty-handed.

"Are you deaf? I said yer' cool like three times." Lucy smiles at Juvia.

"But I always make it rain everywhere I go." Juvia looks down towards the ground remorsefully. "Nobody wants to be my friend because of the rain, but Phantom took me and gave me a home. I'm starting to think otherwise."

"Well guilds are like that. And I think you just need some 'round yer' corner to back you up. At first I thought you had no control over your powers, but now I'm thinking otherwise. I think you just gotta find the right person to make you smile," Lucy explains calmly. Juvia looks up at her. She feels a genuine smile coming upon her face for the first time in years. "Um, not to ruin the good mood, but after this war thing is over, I think yer' guild might be disbanded.

Juvia nods. She knew some of the consequences of performing this job, and the risk of dismemberment was a lingering question. But now, she thinks that it might be good. There is a possible chance she could join Fairy Tail and ask for forgiveness for her poor choices. "If that happens, any chance your guild could offer a position for someone like me?" she asks inaudibly.

Lucy picks up and answers, "Well yeah. Trust me we are a band of misfits, who'll accept anyone." Juvia nods and decides to take Sol back to the guild hall. She would have to explain what had happened, but her heart remains content with the idea of a friend. She bids farewell to Lucy and leaves with helping Sol. Lucy sighs and falls back onto the ground. She has too many emotions bottled up, that it is confusing to tell what she thinks. Her limbs hurt a little, considering how short the fight was in terms of others she had done in the past. It is her brain that is causing more problems. If she dwells too long on this, she will lose sight of her objective.

She pushes herself off the ground and walks back to Fairy Tail. The sun is shining once again after Juvia left. She looks at herself and notices patches of blood and scratches on her body. She might have had her adrenaline on full blast to have noticed the remaining injuries. She laughs to herself when she realizes her hopeless situation. She walks toward the guild when she hears and smells people downstairs. She had a horrible gut feeling again. They had returned earlier than she had anticipated. It could mean a lot of things, but she had a looming suspicion that it might be bad.

She walks downstairs, keeping most of her emotions in line. She had to tell everyone why Phantom is after them. It would be unfair and cruel if she had not. It is her fault in every way possible. Perhaps if she had told everyone who she is from the start could this have been prevented, or maybe she could have settled things with Jude earlier. She shakes her head. Wondering about the 'what ifs' would be a waste of time and energy. Lucy steps down the final step to see everyone. Most people had bandages while others were planning. She feels her heart becoming guiltier by the second. She had never wanted harm to anyone, but thanks to her selfish choices, they had taken the blows for her. How fate loves to torment her poor soul.

"Lucy?" She turns around to see Erza looking at her. "What happened?" Now, the entire room eyed her. The stares give her a worse feeling.

"Uh, I got into a fight with the Element Four." People start to murmur among themselves while Lucy takes a deep breath. Now or never, they either accepted her for her selfish choices, or they would blame her. Either way, she would be fine with whatever paves her way. "I know why Phantom is after her." People silence down to let Lucy continue. She casts her eyes down and starts, "They're after me."

"What?" Erza questions immediately. She already has a difficult time dealing with Master's condition and leaving the Phantom guild. The last thing she needs is someone after her close friend.

"To understand why they're after me, I'm gonna tell you who I am." Erza eyes her carefully. She knows Lucy is a proud person, but seeing her so vulnerable, had made a bad feeling in Erza's stomach. "My full name is Lucy Heartfilia, and I am the foster daughter of Jude Heartfilia." Everyone expresses their own shock in a different way. Natsu and Gray get beside Erza for Lucy to continue. They could care less about who she is. All they are aware, is that someone had targeted a member of their family, and they surely would not let that slide. "One year ago, I ran away from home because I couldn't stand how he treated me. I was practically ignored by him. So I ran away and didn't bother facing him."

Lucy knows this is one mistake she could never live herself with. She truly loves the guild with her heart, but how she could face them after this, is beyond her general thought. She looks away from everyone. Nothing she says could make up for her selfish action. Her eyes grow teary, but she holds them back. She feels a hand on her shoulder and looks to see Natsu giving her a big smile. "Lucy don't sweat on it. This is Phantom's fault. And besides," he stops before turning to everyone, "does it look like anyone is blaming you?"

Lucy looks around, and everyone gives her a small smile. "But-" she gets cut off.

"No buts. We mean it. You're a member of this guild, and nothing is changing that. So cheer up, we'll get Phantom for what they did, especially to Master." Lucy looks at Natsu frantically. "Oh yeah, one of those Element Four jerks got him. He's resting back at Porlyusica's place. She is our guild's doctor I guess." She nods solemnly. Everyone cheers and becomes more motivated to get back Phantom. Erza pulls Lucy to the side and leads her near the showers in the basement. Lucy says nothing as Erza closes the door.

"No one blames you," Erza reasons. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known your father would have done this.

"He isn't my father!" Lucy snaps. "He never was back then, he sure as hell isn't now. If I dealt with him, then none of this would've happened." She puts her hands to her head. She feels so frustrated and angry.

"You're right, he's not your father." Erza comes closer to Lucy. "But like you said before, you can't dwell on what happened, but fix on what you can."

"Maybe, if I go back now, he'd stop attacking." Lucy gets pushed to the ground. She looks at Erza with shock.

"You're an idiot if you think going back will fix everything! Don't you see everyone willing to fight for you!" Erza argues.

"That's exactly why I want to end this! I don't want other people getting hurt because of me!" Lucy counters.

"Then you're a coward, if you think running away will solve the problem!"

"I never said I was running away. I just found a way to end the problem!"

"You're taking the easy way out. This is not the Lucy I know!" Erza grabs Lucy by the scarf and holds her closely. "You listen to me. No one blames or hates you. Running away will only hurt us more. Our guild's pride is also on the line, so don't even think for a second this is all about you." Erza lets it out. Her breathing becomes quick as she glares at Lucy.

Lucy smiles softly at her. She knows all too well about what happens when dwelling too much on something that has no chance of being changed. "Heh, yer' right."

"Once we deal with Phantom, we will find a way to deal with Jude." Erza lets her go. "Now take a shower, you reek of dirt. I'm sure it would do some good if you felt clean." Lucy nods and showers, leaving Erza alone. Erza sighs and puts her guard down. Today took much out of her than she had hoped. _I couldn't even protect Master from getting hurt, how can I protect Lucy? She has done too much to me, and I can't even repay her generosity._ She thinks. She slumps to the floor, giving up much of her body. She only wants to protect the ones she holds dear. She clenches her hand tightly. The consequences of her actions play out like a movie in her head, leaving her worse than she is. "How could I make this right?" She mutters aloud. All her hard work to become a stronger mage, still left her weak. Like she is still the little girl from the tower.

Erza is rebellious, but that slowly weighed down when Lucy showed up. Lucy gave her a reason to stay in the guild. Erza always felt her memories plague, so she often kept busy by going out on missions. Even breaking the law several times to find some peace. Now she wonders if all of that mattered since her moral and wish was broken so easily.

* * *

**The End of this Chapter. I hope it was good enough to be read. The rest of the arc will mostly be in the omniscient point of view (3rd) for getting a lot more across in the rest of the story. Especially in Gajeel and Juvia's characters. I also tried to put in the dark elements that I had been planning for a while. I'll expand on them as the story progresses. **

**The Fairy Tail Universe is quite dark like Naruto's, but due to the light atmosphere of the show, it made it difficult to be told like Naruto. Characters like Erza, have a lot of depth into the dark world. Just to note, both girls have killed before. Erza's dark attitude will reveal itself more with the coming chapters and arcs. Mainly due to how it runs her judgement. Also, Unova is Lucy's wizard name. Might change or might not, but for it stays that unless y'all have a different idea. If you do, then do suggest.**

**With this chapter out now, the website is caught up with my Wattpad version, so don't need to worry about missing out. **

**I hope my fight scenes are getting better. I will be making them longer and more enjoyable. I'm slowly starting to understand how to debunk and write them by watching other fights both in anime and real life. So fair with me until I learn how to. Also thanks for the support. 50 follows and 32 favorites. Yee! Now that I have an idea of how the twists in the plot will work, I know how to write them. Don't know when the next chapter will be released, but it will take a while. Since I changed the minor/major details, I need to come up with a way to change how the abyss break and Jupiter canon get played. The chapters from here on out will be getting longer as the arc progresses. I already have a few ideas of how the Tower Of Heaven Arc will play out. Though the arc name will change as it will probably not follow how it is played out in the Canon for the sake of the realism of the story and progression. **

**Also if you guys have any questions or feedback on the story, feel free to let me know. **

** C'ya for now!**


	11. Chapter 10-Pride

**Well, the chapter's finally here. I apologize for the long delay between this one and the last one. I had trouble coming up with a sufficient way to prolong the arc in my perspective. I didn't want to copy it off the Canon. Plus, there were a few things I disliked from the original. I also didn't want it to feel rushed and unread. **

**I also have a few good friends who are willing to help me with the story, so thanks to them. I've somewhat improved my fight scene writing, but it still has a long way to go before I could be proud of it. **

**The rest of the arc will be in the Omniscient POV. I'm rewriting the first few chapters along with the last one to be in this POV. The rewrites will be done with the upcoming chapters, so don't worry about it coming later. I wanted to come at it with a realistic approach than something peculiar. Don't worry about it losing the humor, it wouldn't be Fairy Tail if it didn't have it. I want to apologize ahead of time if this looks similar to a specific type of writing. I just started reading a few mature types, so it came out like this. I'm still a novice when it comes to this. So forgive me if you can. I promise I'll try to make this story unique. **

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

**June 15th, X784, House in the Eastern Magnolia Forest**

"The old fool did want to end up on his deathbed." Porlyusica sneers. She prepares a special herb that slowly heals the human body. She keeps muttering angry curses to herself as she heals Makarov. Her disliking of humans further increases. She may be a healer, but that never meant she liked being one. She turns around and glares at her guests. "So, which one of you convinced him to go to war?"

"Uh! We didn't we swear!" Bisca stutters in fear. She and her partner, Alzack, came by Porlyusica's house to learn the conditions of their Master. Bisca nervously rubs her hands together and avoids eye contact with Porlyusica.

"Futile. All this worthless fighting never leads anywhere! Why can't you stupid beings use your brains instead of fists!" Porlyusica bellows at them. She finishes preparing the medicine and makes Makarov drink it. His pale complexion worries her, but she knows to relax. Judging from the drain of magic in his body, Porlyusica deduces that a powerful wind draining spell is used. The cure is quite simple by gathering the user's lost magic before it thrust into the winds forever. But Makarov's condition is quite unlikely merely for the fact that they failed to gather his magic.

"Sorry. But what is his condition?" Bisca whispers timidly. Being in Porlyusica's house is nerve-racking. The woman is known for her violent tantrums towards humans, but she is quite skilled.

"The old fool needs rest. Since his magic was drained by a powerful wind spell, his magic will take some time to be recovered. If only you had gathered his magic before, then he would've recovered much faster." Porlyusica faces away from her guests and eyes Makarov worriedly.

As Bisca and Alzack carefully process the information, Porlyusica slaps Makarov gently in frustration.

"What's the big deal? We wanted you to heal him, not hurt him even further!" Bisca hisses.

"It's all his fault. A man his age shouldn't be involved in such fights or wars, yet here he resides within my residence, seeking medical attention." Porlyusica closes her eyes. "Nevertheless, he should make a good recovery."

Bisca breathes easier but still feels tense.

Porlyusica opens her eyes and snaps at them. "What are you still doing in my house! Leave now!"

Alzack and Bisca race out the door without much persuasion.

Some time passes when she notices the color return to his body. She checks his temperature and vital signs to notice them return to a steady-state. She sighs in relief and sits down in a chair. She closes her eyes once again. She already had lost one friend, she was in no mood in losing another one. All she could hope for is everything will be resolved soon, and the tranquility would return.

She senses someone near and opens her eyes to come face to face with Mystogan.

"I hope he is doing well," he says. He takes a step back from her and nears the bed. "I managed to capture his magic before it fully drifted off."

Porlyusica frantically gets out of her chair and eyes him."How'd you know in the first place? You're rarely around." She keeps her distance from him.

"I was coming back to the guild to pick up another mission when I heard what was going down." He moves away from the bed and heads for the door. "I'll be back soon. Please make sure he will recover soon." He disappears before she could answer.

Porlyusica huffs in frustration and goes to a shelf. She picks out a blue book on healing ailments. Judging from the speed of Makarov's recovery, she estimates it will take a little longer before he wakes up. She gets the ingredients for the potion and mixes them in a bowl. She rereads the recipe a few more times to make sure everything is in order. She then slowly pours it in Makarov's mouth. According to the recipe, the potion should speed up the process of a faster recovery time. It attracts the ethernano in a wizard's body to course faster within their system, essentially allowing the magic to flow faster to fill magical stamina.

* * *

**Fairy Tail GuildHall, Magnolia**

"Let me help you patch those wounds." She looks up and sees Erza holding a roll of bandages. "If you do it by yourself, then you might not much success with patching it up."

Lucy smiles and nods. Erza wastes no time and quickly works to patch the cuts and bruises. Lucy grimaces a few times and bites her lip to stop the pain. After a few minutes, Erza finishes closing the wounds and warns Lucy to take it easy.

"You wanna take a bath?" Lucy offers. "It might help. I mean you're also reeking." She smiles cheekily.

Erza refrains from commenting but walks into the shower.

"Also Erza," Lucy stops when she sees Erza turn around and continues, "it isn't your fault everyone is hurt. I know how you can be, so just know it isn't yours."

Erza has a small smile on her face and walks into the shower. She turns it on while she remains silent. The sound of splashing water fills in the grave mood. She hangs her head low and places her hands against the wall. She bites lip to stop tears from spilling. She put on a brave face and encouraged Lucy, but that was a facade to convince herself. Erza punches the wall lightly. "I'm a failure. If I was just.." she trails off. She takes a deep breath and turns off the shower. If she dwells on this any further, it would be a waste of energy.

She walks out and immediately gets a towel thrown to her face. "And it hit for the face. I'm gettin' better at aiming." Lucy laughs.

Erza looks baffled before striking Lucy in the head.

"Hey, I was just trying to cheer the mood." Lucy bitterly grumbles.

"And how does hitting me lift the mood?" Erza threateningly asks.

"Because then you won't act sad, but angry," Lucy retorts. Soon, both girls start a scuffle. Pulling on each other hairs and punching before stopping. "Look you're not sad anymore." She grins proudly at her companion before sitting on the floor. "So, what's the plan now?"

Erza sighs but feels better than before. She requips into her armor and ushers Lucy to get up."Now, we need to come up with a different plan to attack Phantom. But with everyone injured, any plan of a frontal attack might be near to impossible," Erza replies.

"Okay, maybe we don't need a frontal attack." Lucy holds her chin and closes her eyes. "Since Phantom has about 50 smaller branches across the kingdom, we could start by eliminating those," she suggests.

"It'd be tricky. All of them are spread out and by separating our numbers, we would be more vulnerable when they attack us." Both girls take a seat at one of the tables, away from everyone. "It'd be easier to cut off the stronger members then deal with the weaker ones."

"But the weaker ones outweigh the stronger ones. We would need more support on our side if we did put this into play." Lucy puts her arms behind the chair, tilting it. She closes her eyes. "Mystogan would probably help us if we knew where he was. But what you told me about Laxus, he'll need more persuasion, or he won't help at all."

"Erza could you help with contacting Mystogan and Laxus," Mira asks sweetly. She watched from afar both of their conversation, finding it surprising how Lucy thinks. She has heard from Natsu about Lucy's intelligence but seeing it upfront, it had a whole new experience. As smart as Lucy is, Mira needed someone authoritarian to get convince Laxus.

"Of course." Erza gets up from the table and follows Mira. They get to a secluded part of the basement, where Erza sees Cana working with a few cards. "So, did you find any luck in locating the two?" Erza crouches beside Cana.

"I found Laxus, so you two could start on getting ahold of him. Mystogan is a whole different story. He somehow masks his destination with some sort magic spell," grumbles an exhausted Cana. She stretches her back before drawing her attention on the cards. "Even with my card magic or fortunetelling, he is near to impossible to find."

Erza encourages Cana before getting up. She sees Mira with a communication lacrima and takes a deep breath.

Mira calls Laxus on the lacrima. They wait a few seconds before Laxus shows up. "What!" Laxus rages at them. "I'm busy if you haven't noticed. So, hurry up and spill." He runs his hand on his hair with an agitated expression.

"Sorry to disturb you, but the guild is in trouble," answers Erza, "Phantom Lord attacked Levy and her team. Master decided to attack Phantom in return, but he is injured along with many others." She takes a breath and closes her eyes. "All we ask is that you and your team please help us."

Laxus chuckles aloud. "That geezer drove himself into a grave. And now, we have to clean up his mess." He stops talking. _I can't let this argument between Gramps and me destroy the guild in the end. __It's only fair if I help them out now. They did a lot for me in the past. __Besides, I owe the old man. _He thinks. "Fine, we'll help. But, I'm only helping because of my reasons. Don't even think about twisting my words to the others. Got it?" he demands roughly. He cuts the call and walks over to his team.

"Something of the matter Laxus?" Freed asks. The young man has long green hair, extending to his back. He wears a red suit with grey pants and black boots. He has a sword hoisted to his waist.

"Yeah," Laxus grumbles, "Phantom picked a fight with us, and Makarov retaliated. He is injured with many others. So, we have to help them finish off those jerks."

"So, we have to clean up after them?" Evergreen scoffs. She fixes her glasses and brushes off any dirt. She has light brown hair paired up in a sidewards ponytail. She wears a green dress with navy blue stockings and white sandals. The back of her dress, she has detachable wings, which allow her to fly. She pulls out a hand fan and stands beside Bickslow. He wears a metal visor to cover his eyes. He wears fitting clothing with white vertical lines extending all over to his hood. Large armbands followed by skull shoulder blades. His waistband is a dark cloth, which holds four light-colored pieces of clothing reaching down to his knees. In each cloth, adorns an 'X' shape. He wears a pair of black baggy pants, each with an 'X' formation, and some armor greaves.

Laxus huffs in frustration before turning away from his group. The situation is rather awkward, considering how none of them spend too much time in the guild. But deep down, they did care for the guild whether or not they had the guts to admit it. They were near Magnolia for once, so traveling there would be no problem. "Yes. But, we owe the old man," he says after some time. He turns around with a wide grin on his face. "Besides, those Phantom scums have been getting too high on their pedal stool. It wouldn't hurt to take them down a peg or two."

The others agree and discuss plans. After a few minutes, they come with an efficient strategy to defend the guild and attack Phantom at the same time. They quickly take off to head to the guild. It took a few hours, but they had arrived at the guild. The shock on their faces at the guild hall's destruction sends a shiver their spine. Laxus controls his electricity before he accidentally shocks anyone. He has a dislike of how things run in the guild, but it works. The only reason he ever desired to become a guild master, so he could protect his members. He knows he has a funny way of showing love to them, but that never meant he never cared.

They walk downstairs to be greeted with surprised gasps. Many of the other members strangely looked at the group, but Laxus pays no heed them and walks over to Erza's table. "Laxus, you're here?" Natsu sputters in shock.

"What's wrong, cat catch your tongue?" Laxus teases. He sits at the table with his group. That is when he notices Lucy. He had personally not seen the girl but heard tales of her power. The name Unova is rather famous, namely due to the destruction she tends to leave behind. But, her power is no joke. Though Natsu and Lucy were similar, he would say Lucy is more of a tactical fighter than Natsu. "So, you're the famous Unova I've been hearing about?" He looks at Lucy directly in the eye.

Lucy freezes and barely manages out a nod. She never liked the name but it was starting to become more of a common occurrence. She may have been called that by other people but coming out of Laxus's mouth, makes her feel uneasy. "Why do you ask?" She barely manages out.

"Well, it's not every day you hear a woman with cloak and scarf join the guild." Laxus puts an arm around Lucy's shoulder, bringing her closer. "Besides, you're quite feared and famous. I'd love to know why someone of your class would join us."

She says nothing. That uneasy feeling starts to rise again in her stomach. _Why the hell am I so scared Laxus? It's like the guy is starting to get a rise out of me. But for what? _She thinks.

"Aw c'mon. I didn't know you were so shy." Laxus teases.

"Laxus, that's enough," Erza orders. She watched the scene play out carefully. She knows Laxus simply wants to get something out of Lucy. Though she has no clue what it could be, the looks and tone from Laxus was enough to stop anything else from happening. "I'm happy that you and the Thunder Legion decided to help."

"How could I not? You and Mira were practically begging for it." Laxus sneers.

Erza glares at the man for his choice of words. Over the years, she has noticed Laxus's personality change drastically. But she always minded her own business to go ask why. Now she wonders if asking why would have been a better option.

Lucy gets out of Laxus's grip and stands up to face him."So you did it out of pity?" She asks, brawling her fists.

"Well, of course. I mean who wouldn't. You have two of the most prideful girls in the guild asking for your help. You'd be an idiot not to take it," Laxus explains happily. He loved seeing how Lucy changed from a timid to a menacing attitude. He had to admit he liked the girl more upfront than in rumors. He smiles when he sees Lucy clench her fist tightly. "Looks like I hit a nerve."

She stays silent and glares at him. They both tensely glare at each other before Lucy pulls away and sighs. She walks next to Natsu and Gray.

Evergreen fans herself with closed eyes. She stands beside Laxus with superior expression. "Not to interrupt anything, but why is Phantom attacking us?" The rest of the Thunder Legion nod and wait for an answer.

"They're targeting Lucy. Turns out she's the daughter of a rich guy named Jude Heartfilia." Gray says.

"Why would he target her? I mean isn't the guy her pops?" Bickslow asks. Lucy bites her lip tightly and looks away from the group.

"Because the pretty little rich princess ran away without telling anyone." Everyone nervously eyes Laxus and his words. They can feel his magic slowly radiating at lethal levels. He stands and moves between Natsu and Gray. Lucy is forced to stare at him. She silently gulps as cold sweat pours down her forehead. "So, it's your fault that our guild is under attack." It is no question but merely a statement. He gets closer to her, where there is no space between them. "I heard about a Heartfilia runaway. I didn't think it'd be you."

"What are you going to do about it?" She is anxious but her curiosity beat her to ask the question. Laxus pulls back his right arm and electrifies it before swiftly aiming for Lucy's face. Her eyes widen rapidly and quickly counters with her right hook charged with energy. The impact causes a minuscule explosion, temporarily blinding everyone but the two. Lucy falls onto the ground from the awkward position she was forced into when countering. She admits seeing the strength of Laxus's power, however tiny, amazes her. He is one guy she would have a hard time dealing with.

"Looks like you're not all talk after all." He grins.

Everyone around the pair looks at them in astonishment. Natsu quickly snaps at Laxus.

"Quit your yapping Natsu. She needs to know it's her fault everyone is hurt." Laxus says and pushes Natsu to the side. He stands over Lucy dauntingly. "This scum is nothing more than a selfish fool, who only looks out for herself. She doesn't belong in our guild."

Lucy silently puts her head down in shame. No matter how she would look at it, Laxus is right. She could pretend that everyone is fine with it, but the world is not colorful. In truth, it is her fault and her mistake. But if Celeste had taught anything to her, it is to always make up for your mistakes. No matter how unforgivable or impossible it is, an attempt to fix it is better than never trying to.

Other people speak out and defend Lucy. Natsu, Gray, and Erza remain silent, watching Lucy slowly get up from the ground. Laxus quirks an eyebrow at the girl but keeps his glare. He wants Lucy to understand the consequences of her actions. He has no idea how she acts, but that did not mean he could go easy on her. Anyone who dare hurt his guild under his watch would pay hell if not death. It had not even been a few minutes, and he already grows a resentment for Lucy.

"You're right it is my fault," Lucy says loudly for everyone to hear her. She slowly looks at Laxus in the eyes with pure determination. "I did hurt my friends and family. There is nothing in the world that could change that. But, I'm not gonna stand around and wallow in self-pity. I'm gonna do everything I can, even breaking my body in half, if it means I can fix my mistake." She looks around before closing her eyes. "I never got to say this, but I'm sorry for causing the guild so much trouble."Everyone looks at her but remains silent.

Laxus hisses through his teeth and just looks at Lucy. Something about her pisses him greatly. His team looks at her superiorly while everyone gives her a pitiful look.

Lucy bawls her fist and opens her eyes. She says nothing but walks away from the situation. She had no intention of adding fuel to the burning fire between Laxus and her. She sits in one of the broken tables upstairs in silence. She needed to reflect on everything. No one blames you. Erza's words ring in her head. She sighs and hangs her head lowly. She had many options to sift through, but returning home was not one. She knows within her heart that she would need to talk to Jude in the long run. But the fear of running into unwanted people keeps her mind in a standstill.

"Lucy?" She looks up to see Happy flying to her with a solemn expression on his face. "No one hates you. I know Laxus said those bad things, but he does care."

"It's not that Happy." She forces out. "I need to go back home after this. I need to tell Jude the truth for once. If I go back now, there will be more hell to pay with the Council and Phantom." The frightful expression on Happy's face makes her soften. She pulls him into a hug lovingly. "You don't have to worry pal. I'll be back, but it'll be a while." She feels him nodding. They stay like that for a little while before Happy pulls away.

"I know a way to make you happy." Happy rummages through his little green knapsack and pulls out a fish. "Wanna have a bite of my fish? It's better when it's raw."

She laughs aloud and turns him down. She feels her spirits lifting thanks to him.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" she asks him.

Happy nods and giving his full attention to her.

"I can smell and hear a lot of people outside. Almost like an army. Can you go check what it is?" Lucy watches Happy fly off without an answer.

Happy wanders through the town swiftly and finds Phantom mages raging towards the guildhall. He feels a shiver down his spine when he notices their vengeful expressions. He also notices the town's people hiding inside their homes, away from the Phantom mages. He wastes no time in getting back to the guildhall.

"What's wrong Happy?" Lucy observes the troubled look on his face.

"Phantom mages are coming to the guild right now! And they're mad!" Happy sputters out in fear. Lucy's eyes widen and she dashes to the basement with Happy. He tells the others about the danger and everyone gets out of the basement and heads into town. Lucy almost joins them when her team pulls her back.

"Hey, what's the big deal?" Lucy asks frantically. That is when her eyes widen again. The ground begins to shake heavily. The four of them head to the back of the guild along with a few other members. They all witness the Phantom Guildhall walking towards their own. The guildhall is designed to become a giant for mobile transport. Each step it takes becomes more magnifying than the rest until it stops. It pulls out a canon and a dark growing ball glows out. Lucy starts to panic as it grows bigger and bigger.

Not waiting any longer, Lucy charges ahead to the cliff of the ground and readies her magic. _The Jupiter Cannon was no frickin' joke! But they seriously had to pull this out! Are they trying to kill us or what?!_ Lucy ponders quickly. She sees Erza running requipping into a new armor.

_**Requip! Adamantine Armor!**_

What she sees, amazes her. Erza wears a bulky dark blue armor. The armor consists of two parts. The first part consists of the bulky armor. Atop her head, lies a spiked headdress. Her shoulder blades are massive with spikes coming out. Connecting to the arms, white metal covers the entirety with blue gloves. Her chest consists of a dark blue plate followed by white spikes, which reach over to her collars. Her midsection is with a skirt, following several more spikes. Her leggings imitate her arms with knee caps being a dark shade of blue. The second part of her armor consists of her shield. Attached to her arms, the shield is big. In the middle of the shield is a navy blue color. Outlined with a white appearance, big spikes come out of the middle of the shield.

"What the hell are you doing!" Lucy bellows at Erza.

"You'll waste all your magic with that spell. If we combine our defenses, we can stop it." Erza quickly says.

Lucy lets the words sink in. Nodding rapidly, she turns her attention at the canon. In a second, the cannon shoots an extensive flow of gloomy energy towards the dismantled guildhall. Reaching swift speeds, both girls start the spell.

_**Celestial Dragon's Star Shield!**_

Erza connects her shield and forms a vast magic barrier with Lucy's shield. The foreboding clouded mist of dark energy attacks against the barrier. An intense brush of light blinds everyone instantly. The pure resistance of both magical sides starts to fracture the ground into dust. Lucy's magic starts to diminish tediously the longer she strains it. But with Erza's help, she manages to maintain a little longer. Soon, the conflicting force dies down. Lucy is about to speak but collapses immediately. She feels Erza catching her as short breaths intensify. Her magic feels completely drained, but she can maintain consciences.

"Are you okay?" Erza asks softly.

"Yeah," Lucy breathes out, "I guess even with your help, I'm still completely drained."

"At least your conscience. You would've fainted if it weren't for my help. Plus, thanks to you I'm still standing as well as everyone." Erza smiles at her while the boys come running to them. "Eat the sunlight. I'm sure you'll feel better then."

Lucy nods and slowly munches on the sunlight.

"Hey, you guys are okay?" The boys crouch down to Lucy's level. "Lucy, how are you?" Gray asks while Natsu looks at both of them.

Lucy smiles brightly and nods. Feeling her magical energy returning to her, she stands up with Erza's help.

"Those bastards are gonna pay for that. Let's kick their butts!" Natsu cheers, flaming his hands.

Everyone around the area also applauds in agreement. However, their moment of encouragement comes to an abrupt halt. Mysterious eerie shadows of darkness flows out in numbers toward the small group. Lucy eyes them carefully, disliking the aura of the murderous magic. As one of the members goes to attack it, the shadow phases through his body. He drops to the ground completely disoriented.

Lucy's eyes widen. "Whatever you do, don't let them touch you! It drains your magic!"

Everyone nods and starts to attack carefully. Each member dodging and attacking at the same time.

Lucy gets out of Erza's hold and looks at her team. "So, who's ready to send them packing home?"

Agreeing proudly, the four glance at the giant and frown slightly. "Not to ruin the mood, but how are we getting there?" Natsu asks.

The others freeze temporarily before Gray pitches an idea. "I'll freeze the water while Natsu flies on Happy."

They reluctantly agree while Elfman comes up to the group and decides to join them.

"Now listen, you guys have to be careful walking across the ocean. I'll try to make as smooth as possible, but I can't promise anything." Gray says.

_**Ice-Make: Ocean!**_

In a split second, the water is frozen solid. To everyone's surprise, the ice seems easy to walk on. The tides made the giant earlier seemed to have slowed down, originating back to normal. Elfman and Gray waste no time and starts sliding toward the base. As Erza is about to follow, Lucy stops her. "Hey, you okay? I mean that spell should've drained ya'."

Erza calmly explains, "It didn't as much as yours. I contributed a little bit. Mainly added a small boost to your magic. Hence, I'm not extremely depleted or fatigued."

Lucy nods and jumps down with Erza, and they hurry to catch up with the boys. After a few minutes, all of them are at the foot of the giant.

"I'll make some stairs. Just get ready to fight." Gray says. He turns his back to them and focuses his magic in his hands.

_**Ice-Make: Stairs!**_

A railing of clear crystal ice trails to the building's wall. Lucy is the first to run up the stairs carefully while the others follow. She wastes no time in destroying the wall with her magic and walks in. "Y'know their guildhall looks like something out of a cheap knockoff villain." Lucy comments. They walk around the empty hallway in silence. "What do you think Natsu's up to?"

"Knowing him, he's probably tryin' to destroy the cannon." Gray shrugs, taking off his shirt.

"Oi pervert, keep your clothes on for once," Lucy demands.

Gray grumbles something under his breath and puts his shirt back on.

Lucy glances ahead and smiles. She hears Natsu raging at someone while blowing something up. "Something tells me that the pyro is about to do something to the building."

* * *

Happy and Natsu fly atop the cannon in attempts to break it.

Something about the way it is still positioned gives Natsu a bad feeling. Happy drops Natsu at the top. Natsu attempts to break the cannon with his fists but to no avail. It barely makes a dent. The cannon is made of a special type of steel that makes it impossible to break with puny hands. He punches it one last time in frustration before looking at it. If I can't break it from the outside, then I can try to blow it up from the inside. He ponders and smiles. He heads inside with Happy and stumbles upon a giant lacrima.

"What the hell is this?" Natsu stares at it stupidly before dropping to the ground level and dashing for the lacrima. Even though he has no clue what it does, he realizes that the lacrima might be powering the cannon. As he dashes at it, he is suddenly kicked across the face. He hits the ground and grunts in pain.

"Well, what's this," Totomaru calls out, stepping closer to Natsu, "Did you think I'd let you destroy the Jupiter Cannon this easily?"

Natsu stands up with a scowl.

"That lacrima powers the cannon? Sweet! You just made my job a whole lot easier." Natsu is about to attack when he recognizes the guy in front of him. "Are you the Element Six or something?"

Happy flies close and whispers, "Natsu, that's Totomaru. That guy is in the Element Four."

"Element Four, Nimwit," Totomaru says. He runs his hand through his hair. "Just because I told you the lacrima is important, doesn't mean you can destroy it." He puts his hand on his katana and smirks.

In the blink of an eye, the sharp edge of a katana is pressed against Natsu's chest.

Natsu knocks the blade away with the palm of his hand, then flips to safety.

_**Fire Dragon's Roar!**_

Totamaru, with the swipe of his hand, pushes the flurry of orange flames away.

Natsu looks at him in shock. Feeling uneasy at the revelation. He shakes his head and charges at Totamaru. He attempts to hit Totomaru in the face but fails. Totamaru counters faster and kicks Natsu in the kidneys. Natsu grabs Totomaru's arm and knees him in the gut repeatedly before being blown away by his fist.

"I must say, you are stronger than you come off as. However, I will win." Totomaru says while summoning his magic and sending a wave of blistering heat towards Natsu. In a breach of seconds, Natsu eats the flames and smiles. He decides to take a different approach and looks around. The room is bigger than usual with several steps to an outer ring, which is higher than the floor. In the center of the room lies the giant lacrima, with several magic-circles around it.

He jumps onto the outer circle and runs behind the lacrima. Using his fire magic as a boost, he attempts to crack the lacrima. He strikes it, only to be zapped with electricity. He falls to the ground groaning in pain. "What the hell was that about?" Mumbling the words as he stands.

"The lacrima is protected by a barrier. It can't be destroyed by the mere use of your body." Totamaru says.

Totamaru lunges for his opponent, noticing Natsu has failed to dodge. He places a foot on his fallen opponent's chest, "Give up, fool!"

"Never," says Natsu, throwing Totamaru's foot away from him.

Totamaru steps on Natsu's foot, locking him in place. Natsu takes an elbow to the stomach and falls to the ground, gasping for air.

Natsu reaches out. Totamaru grabs Natsu's hand and knocks him in the chin.

Leaving no room for a counter, Totomaru goes for the neck. Natsu gets up quickly and dodges. Totomaru swipes his leg against Natsu's kidney causing him to fall back down.

Falling off guard, Natsu is forced to take on the barrage of hits. He tumbles backward, hitting the wall in enormous strength. Pushing himself up, he wipes some blood from his lips and glares at the man in front of him. He decides to light his fists and charge at full speed. Using his magic as a booster, he skids to a halt when Totomaru dodges out of the way. Using his magic once again, he manages to get behind Totomaru.

_**Fire Dragon's Roar!**_

A boisterous flow of unimaginable heat attacks Totomaru, only to have it surrounding his body. "You still haven't figured it, huh? I control every aspect of fire. Your flames do not affect me," Totomaru says, "It may be true that you're Fairy Tail's dragon slayer, but you will lose against me." He curls his hands into fists and sends a wave of blue fire as a distraction. He watches Natsu eat them and lunges forth. Gripping his katana, he leashes at Natsu's chest. He hears the dragon slayer cry out in pain.

"Ten minutes until the activation of the Jupiter Cannon." A voice ushers over the speakers.

Natsu freezes hearing the words. He bites his lip and faces Totomaru. _He's clever. My flames are nothing against him. Plus, he is good with that sword. Ugh! Think!_ He ponders bitterly. He decides to give up the usage of his flames for now and focus primarily on hand-to-hand combat. He decides to run-up again and retracts his fist, aiming at Totomaru's stomach. Seeing his plan, Totomaru catches Natsu's fist and kicks at the chin. Following up with another attack on Natsu's kidney with his left hand. Sending a good wave of barrages at Natsu, Totomaru finishes off the attack with a fist coated in flames.

Natsu gasps when he senses a fist connect his gut painfully. Blasting back against the wall, he bounces off it and lands on his stomach, coughing up blood. He breathes uneasily but gets up in determination. He notices his Totomaru coming and dodges to the left. Ducking his attacks, he jumps into the air to avoid another one but notices Totomaru in the air with the katana positioned to kill. Twisting his body, he uses his leg to launch the katana in a different direction. In a split second, he uses the opportunity to send a right hook to Totomaru's left cheek. He steps on Totomaru's foot and lights up his right fist.

_**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist! **_

Upon impact, an explosion of flames blow out, increasing the damage. Totomaru cries out an agonizing scream. He rolls onto his back completely in short of breath. Stomach drowning in burns and pain as well as minor burns across his body. He uses his left arm to slowly lift himself. Every inch of his body pleading him to stop. _What are you fighting for?_ His mind asks him. A simple job to take out the Fairy Tail Guild and retrieve the Heartfilia girl, but how did that go so wrong? He shakes his head gently and glares at Natsu. Putting his fists together, he creates an imaginable amount of heat.

**_Flames of Retribution!_**

Powerful waves of colorful blistering heat storms toward Natsu. He opens his mouth to eat it when he notices the attack splitting into smaller in different directions. Widening his eyes in shock and fear, he lurches forward as fast as he could to block the attack from reaching Happy, who barely could escape from the proximity. Managing to take most of the damage, Natsu doubles over on his knees from the pain. The attack managed to leave him stung.

"I figured flames don't burn you, but there are special types of fire. My green fire has a specialty of stinging anyone it touches. The magic enters into your bloodstream from the contact and immobilizes the Nervous System." Totomaru states proudly.

"Five minutes remaining until the activation." The voice ushers on the speaker system.

Natsu closes his eyes and feels the magic taking over. He had no control over his body. But the bitter idea of someone else controlling his flames makes his blood boil. He has no time to sit around and mope. He needs to destroy the lacrima and take out Totomaru within five minutes. If he physically has no control over his body, maybe he could try his magic to burn off the magic in his system. Pouring sheer amounts of heat throughout his entire body starts to kill the poison like a virus. In two minutes, he burns off the remaining poison.

Totomaru notices the fire surrounding the body. He gulps in fear from the hidden amount of power Natsu has. He stares in fright as Natsu stands up with an unbearable amount of heat. Totomaru tries to hide his fearful expression and charges at him with green flames. He tries for a right hook, only to be blocked. Natsu lowers his body when Totomaru kicks for his head. He counters with a right uppercut in the chin and a strike in Totomaru's gut.

**_Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!_**

A burst of flames knocks the air out of Totomaru's body. Bouncing off the wall like a ping pong ball, he struggles to get up. He coughs up blood as the several burns start to sting all over his body. He sees Natsu sending another fire attack and dissipates the flames in several directions. He glances around and picks up his katana.

"You're an absolute jerk. I promised everyone we'd take you pathetic saps down. I plan on doing it. I don't care if you can control my flames because I'll beat you with them." Natsu growls. He stomps the ground and lights his hands in fury. _I have three minutes to take this idiot down. Question is, how do I go about it? He thinks._

Totomaru barely has any remaining physical strength for a large counter-attack. The best option he has is to stall for the remaining time. He lunges at Natsu with his katana.

Natsu throws the katana into the lacrima. It barely penetrates through the lacrima, but enough pressure to cause a bigger crack. Natsu glances at it and back at Totomaru. Whenever I catch him off-guard, my flames burn him harder. But when he sees it, they never touch him. So, I have to catch him by surprise. He plans. He puts his fist together and creates a large spiral of flames.

Totomaru tries to disperse the attack, but he fails because of the large quantity of magic put into it.

"I'll never let a bastard like you control my flames ever again!" Natsu howls, throwing the flames towards Totomaru, who dodges to the side. The flames turn into a fist, which pushes the blade further into the lacrima.

A vast explosion levels the entire room in a flash. Totomaru uses the majority of his magic to divert the oncoming blast from hitting him. After a few moments, the explosion dies down, and the room is in pieces. Totomaru huffs from both the physical and magical exhaustion. He jumps onto the debris for a better position. _He truly is more powerful than I could've ever hoped for._ _If I take one more hit, then I'm down for good._ He ponders.

"Nice job, Natsu!" Happy cheers. He held onto his partner when the explosion occurred, making sure neither of them were hurt. They stand flying in the shattered cannon room.

Natsu smiles happily at his partner. "Yep. Now let's take him down for good."

Happy spots Totomaru and throws Natsu at him.

Natsu kicks Totomaru's face and drops a few centimeters away from him. He notices his opponent not getting up and walks over.

"You win," Totomaru mutters weakly, "I can see why dragon-slaying magic is a lost magic now."

Natsu looks at him in sympathy. "You lost because you didn't have a purpose to fight. I don't care what my magic is as long as I can protect my friends with it," he says. He watches Totomaru pass out. Natsu turns to his friend. "Well, time to go help the others."

"Aye, sir! So, are we helping out in the building or going outside?" Happy asks.

Natsu puts a hand on his chin when he hisses in pain. "Crap, I forgot about my chest." He stares at the wound. The strike of the blade cuts deep, but not enough for a fatal wound.

"Oi Natsu!" a voice calls out.

Natsu turns around and sees the others running toward him. He smiles and gets closer to them. "Hey, whatcha' guys doin' here?" he asks.

"Lucy heard a massive explosion, so we came running this way," Gray replies. He notices Natsu's wound spilling slowly. He tears open his shirt and hands it to Natsu. "Looks like a nasty cut. Use my shirt as a bandage for now."

Natsu uses it and temporarily patches the wound and thanks his friend. "So, what are you gonna do now?"

While the others discuss, Lucy glances around and notices Totomaru's damaged body. She gets closer to inspect and thinks._ Sol, Totomaru, and possibly Juvia is eliminated from the equation, which only leaves Aria. He's more powerful than the rest of them, but that also leaves Gajeel. Jose set this up like a big chess game. He has the pieces in place, but they're also falling apart. If we take out the king, then the rest of them lose. _She turns around and walks back to her teammates.

Natsu says, " I still say we storm to that Jose jerk and kick his butt."

"Natsu, are you forgetting Jose is one of the Ten Wizard Saints? He's as powerful as our master." Erza comments. She and the others hear thunder and see Laxus in behind them with his team.

"Is that you're way of admitting you're weaker than the rest of us?" Evergreen taunts. She pulls out her fan and cools herself. "I'm sure you've all realized how many opponents are left. Two members of the Element Four are down, and two more to go. including, Gajeel and Jose. Not to mention the other members. I'm surprised there smaller branches haven't made it to Magnolia."

"That doesn't matter now. I'm gonna fly down with Happy and help the others out. There are a bunch of those idiots. And who knows, maybe I can find Aria or Gajeel," says Natsu.

The others swiftly agree to his idea and bid him farewell. They make a plan to split into groups and take out the remaining mages. Suddenly, the building starts shaking violently, causing Lucy to grunt over. Soon, it stops trembling and becomes stable.

Laxus grits his teeth in frustration and asks, "What is it now?" He asks Freed to fly outside and check the conditions.

Freed uses his enchantment magic and creates some wings and flies out. What he finds utterly shocks him. The giant slowly moves its arms, creating a large magic circle for an _**Abyss Break. **_But the thought troubles him greatly. To activate a forbidden spell of this nature, it must require the four basic elements: fire, water, earth, and air. With two out of the four elements, the enchant still seems to be moving faster than intended, hinting someone else is filling in for Sol's place. Freed returns back and informs the others.

"Well, that's great. Are they so desperate that they wanna kill us in the process." Gray grumbles.

"In this case, we must quickly defeat the remaining members. Laxus and I will head for Master Jose. The rest of you make sure to take out the rest of the Phantom mages along with Juvia and Aria." Erza orders.

Almost everyday decides to split up into groups of two, apart from Lucy, who decides to fly solo. She dashes out of the room and heads for a random hallway. She wastes no time and finds some Phantom mages and starts to attack them. Taking them out easily, she moves onto the next set of targets. She had figured even though a significant amount of the mages were keeping her guild busy, there was bound to be a few more left behind. Dashing through many hallways, she takes out many of them while keeping an eye out for the main targets. An aching pain growing worse in her stomach from uncertainty. _I hope everyone's okay._ She prays.

* * *

In a different room of the Phantom Giant, stands Jose.

He clenches his teeth and stomps the ground. His eyebrows twitching and magic radiating. He bellows, "Can someone tell me what the hell went wrong?"

Nobody in the room answers him, simply trying their best to avoid the rage. They quickly maintain the spell and remain silent as Jose keeps yelling at everyone. In the corner of the room, Juvia enters silently. Ever since her visit with Lucy, she had been rather silent about the ordeal. Finding herself being questioned about her choices and purpose. Refusing to take any more of her active mind, she goes to Jose for answers.

She walks further in and stands there. "Master Jose, may I speak to you in private?" she asks politely.

Jose turns around and glances at Juvia. "Fine. You seem to be more useful than any of these lumps." They walk out of the room and head to a different one. "Now, what is it you wish to speak to me about?"

Juvia nervously twiddles her thumbs and looks away. "Is it worth it to go after the Heartfilia girl? I mean she seems so happy at her guild. Wouldn't it be wrong to take that liberty away?"

Jose stares at the woman in silence. He feels his blood boiling and his nerves cracking. "Let me ask you something. Did those fairies corrupt you with their idealism?"

Juvia mutters weakly a response and stays silent.

Jose continues, "Sounds to me like you've forgotten who's saved your life from being killed a few years ago. Your life is in my hands. I can easily send you back to that wretched place if you want to help those deplorable mages. They aren't innocent. I heard their might Titania is involved with several crimes. They aren't exactly your typical pity crimes."

Juvia's eyes widen in shock. "What do you mean?" she mumbles out.

Jose happily grins. "I don't think that's important now. Unless you want to go back, I suggest you follow my orders." He leaves the room without an answer.

Juvia glances at her hands. Jittery and sweaty with the added heat coursing through her body, the feeling worsens. She slowly walks to a window and watches the droplets of rain slithering against the pane. She closes her eyes, but nothing works to slow down her heartbeat._ Geez, can't you do anything! It's always raining and I'm getting tired of it. I wish you'd just hurry up and get better at using your magic already._ Her friend's voice booms inside her head. She bites her lips to suppress the need to wail out. Water seeps from her eyes as she opens her eyes to stare at her reflection.

She wipes them away and leaves the room. The looming feeling worsening within her heart. _I'm never going to be free. Not from this rain, or Master Jose's grip. Lucy Heartfilia truly is a lucky woman. She's hopeful her guild win blindly. I wonder what's it like to see something like that. The glistening waves of the sun raining down on your skin to show a path of hope_. She thinks solemnly. She walks back into the control room, away from the majority of the people. Out the corner of her eye, she sees Master Jose smiling at her.

"Now, tell me the status of the Abyss Break?" Jose demands.

A member speaks up quietly, "With Totomaru out, it will take a little longer with the activation. But with the last three elements, we should be able to pull it off."

Jose grins wickedly. "I'm sure those plucked fairies know about this spell. Just make sure to keep the weapon intact" He turns to face Juvia. "Also Juvia, just make sure you and Aria don't lose, or they'll be hell to pay from both of you."

Taking it as her cue to leave, Juvia rushes to find Aria. A team of two is always better than one. _I just hope this ends soon._ She prays.

* * *

**Elsewhere in Fiore, June 15th X784**

Horrified cries echo the surrounding area. Mystogan stands in the middle of five mages. He ducks away from the oncoming attacks and stands still. The Phantom Lord building is in shambles after a catastrophic attack. Most mages are lying unconscious on the ground or fighting him. One of the members wipes some sweat off her forehead and stares at the man.

"Why are you attacking us? We're a legal guild." a woman says. She looks around at her guild members and grimaces at the situation. Their building is on fire while half the other members are lying on the ground. Ever since the day their master decided to attack Fairy Tail, everything had been rather chaotic. Everyone had been either aggressive or destructive. She almost feels happy about being beaten down. The guild's pride had taken a drastic turn in the wrong direction.

Mystogan looks at them with narrowed eyes. He says nothing in return but remains vigilant. He could have chosen to walk away from this entire battle and not get involved at all, but that would shove his feelings. He is always out of town and rather secretive. His name started gaining popularity after gaining a prestigious title. He never liked or intended to have it, but it did have its share of perks. Dangerous jobs with high paid rewards, but most of all, a lead into the underbelly of Fiore. He has been spending years trying to find something that had been a threat to others. Going so far into his searches, often led him into unique situations.

The woman grits her teeth and sends a pile of rocks toward the man. He simply phases through them and gets behind her. She is on the ground in seconds as her comrades watch in shock. The man sighs softly under his mask and charges for the remaining mages. Moments pass and the rest of them fall. He heads to the top of the building and grabs the Phantom Lord Flag and leaves.

Mystogan moves rapidly through towns and heads to the next one. He uses his _**Mist Body**_ to become the wind and carefully move to the next one. As he reaches the next branch, he is forced into hiding. He follows his eyes on the members. Seems his activities might have been reported to the rest of the smaller branches than he had hoped. A few members stand outside as guards. Each of their eyes peer over the area, never letting down their guard. They have sweat running down their foreheads as they stand. Mystogen turns his body into a mist and lunges at the guards. As they fall to the ground, he walks into the building.

Mages up stand up in line. In the middle of the crowd, a woman stares lazily at the man. "Well, it's about time you showed up. I've waiting to play with you damned fairies for a week now," she says. The woman stands up and walks closer to Mystogan. "Now, c'mon. Show me why Mystogan is considered one of the mighty members of the guild."

Mystogan stands silent. Narrowing his eyes at every member in the room. "I didn't come here to show you my strength," he finally says.

The woman grits her teeth in frustration. "Are you sure? You've been going around destroying our other branches. If I'm right, then you would've destroyed 49 by now. Making us you're 50th." She closes the distance between closer. "Tell me, how did you take out the rest of our S-Class mages?"

Mystogan pulls out one staff and grips it tightly. He takes a step back, furthering narrowing his eyes on the woman. "Who are you?"

She smiles and answers, "Joslin Ryn. I'm an S-Class Mage." Joslin turns to her guildmates. "You guys might need to give us some space. Things are going to get messy."

Everyone backs away from the group, some even running out. Mystogan positions his body to fight while Joslin yawns. He lunges forth and punches Joslin's head. In return, she jabs his stomach, but only to hit air. He tries to hit her face again, but she blocks with her arms. He backs away from her and uses his staff to send a wave of magical energy towards her. She ducks the other way and lunges for him. Mystogan blocks the oncoming attacks with ease and pushes her away to create some distance.

"You failed to meet expectations." Joslin murmurs. She decides to go in for the attack, putting more strength and speed at the same time. Mystogan tries to block, but he gets jabbed in the stomach swiftly. He tumbles back but on his feet. He uses his leg to aim at her head and hits the air instead. Joslin grabs his leg and uses her leg to swipe him off balance. He turns his body into the air quickly and backs away.

_This woman's magic is unique. She hasn't even one spell. I need to bait her into using it._ Mystogan thinks calmly. He puts his staff away and positions his footing. Joslin charges for him while he ducks beneath and scores an uppercut to her chin. Following with several more attacks all over her body. She takes on every hit before managing to stop one from her face. She uses her fist and quickly hits his stomach and backs away.

**_Gesture Mirror!_**

A bind of wind blows into Mystogan. He hits the wall forcefully and lands on the ground. He stands up slowly to notice is woman gone. He walks forward slowly only to feel her presence behind her. He quickly turns his body into the wind but gets knocked to the other part of the hall. _Wind Magic? But I haven't seen anyone with that kind of wind usage up this close. It has to be something else._ He ponders. He tightens the mask and tries to sense the woman again. Feeling her coming another back attack, Mystogan sends a wave of magic in her direction. Every single ray of magic beam is shot back at him. He dodges quickly and look at the woman in shock.

Joslin wickedly smiles. "Looks like I hit a nerve. I had a hunch about your body. Seems you do turn into a _**Mist Body**_. I've only seen this with Aria, but it's good to know you have it too." She once again sends a breeze of wind in Mystogan's direction, except she widens the range of her attack. Mystoagn narrowly dodges the attack only to be smacked across the head. He lands on his feet and jabs her sides. Following up with a right hook, he gets blocked by her arms. He uses his legs and throws her balance. She quickly blasts the wind in his direction to prevent him from hitting her.

Mystogan blocks the attack with his arms and skids back. He sighs softly and smiles under his mask. He makes a few hand signs and smashes them into the ground. It lights up with energy and shoots directly at Joslin. She simply waits for it and deflects it back at him. Dodging swiftly, he gets close to her and throws a fist in her face. She catches it and smiles again.

"I think I let you hit me one too many times." She says. Once again, she uses her magic and blows him away. Then, she smashes her fists into the ground and sends a pillar of the ground at him. Widening his eyes, Mystogan feels the pillar attack his body forcefully, ramping him into the ceiling. His back hits the ceiling, making him reach the second floor. He slowly stands up, checking to make sure his staves are in place. He sighs satisfaction.

_That was too close for comfort. I need to find a way around her magic._ He thinks. He feels fine without any major injuries. He looks below the hole and jumps down cautiously. He hears laughter and turns around to see Joslin smiling. Not a single scratch or bruise present anywhere on her body. He frowns while thinking of a strategy.

_**Rebound!**_

Both elements of earth and air come hurdling at him. He ducks and quickly gets behind her. She senses him but her reaction is slow. His leg swipes her back, causing her to cough and lurch forward. Using this opportunity, he pushes her to the ground forcefully. She tries to use her magic to send two pillars at him, but he uses his magic to phase through them.

Mystogan bends down to her ear and whispers, "I suggest you give up. You're simply outmatched. It may be true you have powerful magic, but you messed with the wrong guild and mage. Anyone who dares to hurt my family will pay hell. Not to mention, you're going after Lucy Heartfilia. You should be lucky to leave out alive. I don't tolerate anyone hurting her."

Her eyes go wide in surprise and fear, but she refuses to show it. Instead, she bubbles all of her magic and blasts everything within the tiny space between them. Mystogan simples ducks away and waits for the woman to stand. Joslin clenches her teeth and hand in frustration and decides to stop playing around. She charges at him faster and aims for his neck. He blocks the hit with his arms and ducks to hit her sides. Both opponents go back to back before backing away. Mystogan sends a few more waves of energy at her, but every single one hits him instead. Using this chance as a smokescreen, he goes in for the attack. He jumps out and sends a right straight into her face.

She loses her balance before grimacing. _That hurt. He's toying with me. He hasn't used any of his bigger attacks until now_. She thinks bitterly. She blocks another attack with her hands and knees him the gut. She attempts to swipe her leg down on his back, but he catches her. He uses his legs and throws her off balance. She uses her hands to support her body and lands a blow to Mystogan's head with her leg. Getting back on her feet, she sends a jab to his stomach and face. He turns into the wind as the attacks phase through him. He gets closer to her and uses to send a wave of energy into her.

She crashes into the wall as debris falls all around her. She coughs up blood as she clutches her wounded stomach. She slowly gets back on her feet with clenched fists almost turning white. As she is about to use her magic, her eyes widen. Her movements are stuck under a spell as the light grows brightly. She sees Mystogan's staves all drawn out in front.

_**Three Layered Magic Circle!**_

Three different elements spawn above her head and come crashing down upon her. She uses her magic to divert the attack in several directions. Some hitting her guildmates in the process. The attack leaves the room in pieces. Joslin breathes heavily after dispersing the attack._ I need some time to regain to do a move that big again. I have to rely on small and planned attacks._ She thinks. The gray clouds become crystal clear as she fully realizes the extent of the damage. A few of her guildmates are lying on the ground unconscious while the others looked with wide eyes. They were physically shaking and backed away.

"What the hell Joslin? Were you trying to kill us?" growls a member.

She narrows her eyes and answers, "It wasn't my plan, but at least I'm not dead."

The member looks at her with broad eyes. "So, you don't care that we're hurt?"

"Not really. I'm starting to see why Master Jose wanted to kick some of you wasted mages out. You're not useful, but y'all sure as hell give us a large member count." Joslin chuckles lightly.

The member purses his lips and glances at the ground. "If that's how everyone thinks about us, then maybe it's better if we leave."

Joslin smiles brightly at him. "You and the rest of you idiots will be doing us a major favor. Not like any of you can even stand up against those worthless fairies."

Every conscious member looks at them with a frown. They carry the unconscious on their back while glancing back at the building. They feel their heartstrings marching to a different rhythm than they had a few weeks ago. The member looks back at Joslin with a frown. "If you're expecting to win that fight, think again. You'll never beat someone like that if you don't care about your family." He turns his back and walks away with everyone.

Joslin glances at them. Her eyes furrowed and lips closed shut. She feels a sense of relief they had left, but her heart grows slightly heavier. _Who the hell I needed them or their help? I'm an S-Class Mages. I can handle anything that can come my way._ She reasons with herself. She looks around and sees Mystogan standing a few feet away from her. She has a hard time telling how he feels, but the tense atmosphere around them keeps her quiet.

Mystogan's stoic aura gradually creeps around the room. He glances at the woman with a piercing gaze. "So, you'd rather save your own ass than save your comrades?"

Joslin smiles maliciously, betraying her inner thoughts. She returns the gaze at him. "Well, of course. They were useless and a pain. They knew what they were getting into the moment they signed up to be a legal wizard. So, they should know how to save themselves."

Mystogan feels his patience slipping and body heating up. "Then perhaps your comrades were right about one thing. You'll never win against me."

She loses her cool and throws a right hook at him. He catches it and blocks another attack. Blocking several more, he headbutts her. She backs away with her surroundings starting to spin slowly.

Mystogan stands in his place and calmly says, "Your guild will never win against us. We'll beat you down to your lowest point and prove to why we thrive. I don't care if you're guild ranking is higher than us. I've just proven I can take care of 50 of your sub-branches with ease. To me, power can size strength so far. But with family and friends, you'll never be able to compare."

She smashes her fists into the ground to send pillars to him. Using it as a diversion, she lunges at him and throws a left straight to his face. Instead, she hits through him and blocks an oncoming hit to her face. Mystogan swipes his leg to her sides and leaves her dazed in pain. He grabs a hold of her and sends a few more straights to her head and back. She drops to the ground, grunting. Her head pounds on her like a hammer while her back tries to maintain itself. She curses underneath her breath. If it weren't for that stupid big attack, I'd have the upper hand on him. I can't let him figure that out.

Mystogan feels rather odd. He senses a deep wealth of relief in his heart, but watching the woman struggle for her title makes a knot his stomach. He bends to the woman's level and whispers, "Looks like you're all talk and no game." He copies her exact words from before the fight.

Joslin rolls away and gets up. "You're one hell of a lucky bastard. I haven't had a big challenge like this for a while," she says, "I can't wait to put you down to size." She smiles brightly as an idea forms in her head. "Tell me Mystogan, who are you under that mask? There have been many rumors, but none of them have ever been true."

Mystogan stiffens sharply. He feels the heat rising within his body as his fingers slowly shake.

Joslin sees his hesitation and continues, "Let's make a bet. If I win, then I find out who's under that mask. If you win, then you can decide whatever you want."

_Tempting._ He thinks. The offer could both ways. But for him, winning is the only option. His identity and guild is on the line. _She's cunning._ He answers, "I accept."

Joslin loses her smile and asks, "Aren't you going to tell me what it is?"

Mystogan looks at her skeptically. "Why does it matter to you? Like you said, I can choose whatever I want as long as I win. It's my decision if I want to tell you or not."

"Yeah, but it's more fun if you say it now. It brings more tension and drama into this fight." she retorts.

"So, this entire fight has been a funny sitcom for you?" He senses his blood rushing.

"Now, when you put it like that, I suppose it does." She crosses her arms. She feels her magic returning to her. "I don't understand why you're getting so frustrated about it."

Mystogan says nothing and simply throws a right straight into her face. She falls back with widened eyes. He ignores her expression and attacks. Exchanging a few hits, Mystogan decides to use fire magic to attack her. _I don't generally use this, but she keeps deflecting my attacks. I need to find an opening._ He ponders. Joslin keeps deflecting all the attacks that she forgets Mystoagn's position until the last second. He grabs her shoulder and blows a devastating blow into her stomach. She gasps and coughs up blood. She lurches forward as the blood drips like rain into the ground.

**_Rebound!_**

Pillars from the ground and waves of air attack Mystogan at lightning speeds. He narrowly dodges and stands far away from his opponent. In a matter of seconds, the entire building starts to shake violently. He runs out for his safety when he notices parts of the building shot at him. He dodges most of the attacks when a pillar hits him. He is blown back with the breath knocked out of him. He notices several more and jumps onto and makes his way to his opponent quickly. He sends some of the surges of energy at her, only to hit some pillars.

He pulls back and stands on a pillar. He stares at the woman, who seemed to be completely fine. _A few minutes she was gasping for a breath, now, she's fine. The time between the last attack and now was just a few minutes. Don't tell me. _His train of thought stops when ducks another attack. _When she was making that small talk, she was gaining back the energy to attack again. If I'm right, then I need to send a large attack her way to tire her. Then I could counter take her down. _He thinks calmly.

Joslin watches the man dodge every attack. She clenches her teeth and decides to end this quickly. Sending another pillar, she dashes towards him quickly. She sends a right hook in his face. Mystogan blocks with his arm and hits her face. He grabs ahold of her dazed state and knees her gut. She manages to do an uppercut to his chin and backs away. She keeps blocking his attacks with the wind as much as possible before kicking him away. She gasps for breath and stands still as she watches the man stand up. Eyes widen when she feels a large surge of magic below her.

**_Five Layered Magic Circle! _**

Five elements: fire, water, air, earth, and darkness, appear above her. She pours all her magic into diverting the magic. The magic disperses in several directions like rainbows. She drops to the ground, panting heavily. _It'll take a little longer to recover my magic. If I distract him long enough, I could have enough._ She thinks.

Mystogan waits for the woman to stand up to test his theory.

Joslin stands up. "You're truly a formidable opponent."

Mystogan says nothing and pulls out one of his staves and places it in front of him.

_**Skyscraper! **_

The pillar beneath her shatters like crystals. In a sudden ray of light, a surge of energy shoots her into the sky. Fragments of the ground twist around her as ropes, binding her to her fate. She struggles to be free. She hears an ear-shattering growl, which makes her freeze. She watches a demon coming out while sweating and shaking. A demon breaks apart the sky and slowly reaches out for her. She struggles even more against the binds. She attempts to use her reflector magic but to no avail.

"Please let me go!" She closes her eyes shut as she feels the demonic hands swiping her up. She suddenly slides down something and lets out a scream. Her tears cascade down her cheeks, pleading to anyone to save her. "I'm so sorry! Just let me live please." It is a futile attempt, but she had no choice. If the smallest prayer could be received, she would throw away all of her riches and pride to be given one last chance on life.

Instantly, Joslin senses the breeze of air touch her skin. She hears birds flying off and opens her eyes. She frantically touches the pillar to feel if it is real.

"Do you understand why you should've never messed with my guild?" Mystogan asks.

Joslin turns to the man. She was busy with being alive, she failed to recognize he was still there. She nods and says, "I'm so sorry. Thank you for letting me live."

"Fairy Tail doesn't kill its enemies." He walks closer to her. "Your life was never in danger."

She feels the breath knocked out of her. She stutters, "What?"

He sighs and begins to explain. "After I used one of my big attacks, you were left on the ground. After our conversation, I had a hunch on your limits. I tried it again, and it seems to have worked. I merely used my illusion magic to leave you rendered down.

She looks at the man with a faint smile. "Thank you nonetheless. I think I see why everything is the way it is."

Mystogan nods and turns his back. "Take this time to reflect."

"What about the bet?" she asks.

"I have nothing to take or ask of you. Just live your life." He heads to the top of the building to grab the flag and leaves the town. _That battle took too long for my liking. I need to be more thorough of how I use my time. She was close to figuring out my identity._ He thinks. Mystogan makes it back to Magnolia in a few minutes. He finds a reasonable solution for his next plan. _First I'll check with the master then observe if the situation gets out of hand._

He heads back to the forest and enjoys the day. Despite the severity of the crisis, it is hard to sometimes miss out on the simplicities in a conflict. He makes it to the house and picks out one of the apples from Porlyusica's basket. He sits down near a tree and eats it while watching the house. He watches Porlyusica walk and stand near him.

Porlyusica notices Mystogan and leaps back. "You're back." she hisses.

"I hope you don't mind me taking one of your apples." He gestures at the apple.

She glares at him. "I'm surprised you're not helping the guild. I thought you were a loyal member."

He softly sighs under his mask and pulls out every single flag of the 50 branches he eliminated in a short time. He watches them float around the forest before standing up. "I hope this is enough to help them. If they ever need any more assistance, they'll know I'm watching from ahead." He leaves and nears the town. He finds a suitable spot to watch from and waits patiently.

* * *

**Middle of Magnolia**

Citizens flee to a secure part of town to avoid the attacks. Several buildings and other services in ruins.

"What the hell. There are so many of them." Wakaba says as he takes out a member and phantom.

Cana strikes some of them with her cards. She answers, "If it wasn't annoying enough with the members. Now, we have those phantoms on us." She dodges to avoid getting shot and attacks a few more members. She has her back against Loke.

Loke kicks a member in the face and knocks out the other with his ring magic. He faces his opponent while talking to Cana. He asks, "Taking out these members is easy now. The horde slowed down somehow."

She uses her cards to electrocute a few of the members at the same. "Yeah, kinda' does. I think they were coming from the smaller branches."

He ducks and delivers a blow to his opponent. "I'm surprised they could get here that fast."

"That doesn't matter right now. Do the job and ask questions later," she orders.

Loke turns to face Cana. "We've heard tales about Lucy's powers. Do you think she's capable of doing something like that?"

Cana looks away and whispers, "We need to have faith in her and the others." Nothing else is said between the two. Both of them focus their energy to take out the remaining mages with barely any strength. After some time, all of the remaining Phantom Lord mages fall. A few Fairy Tail mages let out a breath of fresh air. Some drop to their knees while others catch their breath. Cana sits on the ground, patting some dust. She looks to her side and notices most of her guildmates fighting off the phantoms.

Loke almost says something but quickly grabs Cana and shifts to the side. He narrowly avoids the strike of lightning hitting Cana head-on. He looks up and glares at a woman, who walks closer.

"And here I thought that would hit." She pouts like a child.

Loke's glare hardens. "Who are you?"

Synthia smiles at him greatly. "Why, you're meeting the Synthia of Phantom Lord."

Loke almost chokes on his saliva. He gets back on his feet with Cana. "I'm surprised you're not in the giant right now."

Synthia rolls her eyes. "Master Jose is powerful enough to take care of himself. I'm here to take out the remaining bunch."

"Cana, get out of here. I'll hold her off." Loke readies himself to fight.

"Are you crazy? You can't take her on like this. Besides, she's not exactly an easy opponent." Cana chastises. She stands beside him, ignoring his shocking expression. "Whether you like it or not, we're taking her out together." Two others see the duo and decide to join in. Strength in numbers is better than nothing at all. Cana smiles at everyone. "Now, we have everyone with us."

Loke says nothing and fixes his glasses. "I guess you're right."

Synthia looks at the bunch and laughs. "Are you all so pathetic? You need four people to fight one person?" She says nothing more and grins. A person to her right comes and she simply dodges. The three do the same while she keeps dodging. Their stamina hangs loosely. Fighting off the members and phantoms left a big gap in their system. Two people charge at her from the opposite direction. She gets back and grabs them by the back and slams them into each other. She pushes them down and lunges for Loke and Cana.

Cana throws some lightning cards at her opponent. But to her surprise, it doesn't faze Synthia. Cana sees the mischievous grin and backs away hesitantly. In a second, a bright light covers the area. She covers her eyes while putting up her guard. Soon, she cries out in anguish and falls. Currents of electricity bind the four people. Cana feels her body going numb and her eyes closing.

Synthia walks up to Cana and bends down. "I'm not sure if you have heard me about. I'm a lightning mage. Your cards don't affect me, specifically anything made of lightning." Synthia says. She grabs Cana's hair and pulls it up. Cana cries out louder. Synthia smiles and shoves Cana's head down into the ground forcibly. Cana loses control of her body and closes her eyes, losing her senses.

Loke tries to get up to help Cana, but he helplessly watches her being mocked. He feels his blood boiling and fists clenching. He pushes himself up and attacks Synthia, who stops his attack. She stares into his sunglasses, trying to figure out the ominous aura he is giving off. She knees him in the gut and electrocutes him. He drops like a fly.

His breathing becomes uneasy, but he manages to ask a question. "Do you torture everyone you come across as a threat?"

Synthia chuckles and smiles. "I'm a nice person. You could've handed the girl over and all of this would've never happened."

Loke laughs at her. "My guild will never hand her over unless you want to kill us. Besides, your guild will never win."

She grabs his head and keeps smashing him into the ground until someone stops her.

"Stop!" Mira yells while catching her breath. She almost breaks out in tears from her friends' conditions. "Please, don't hurt them anymore."

Synthia quirks an eyebrow. "And why shouldn't I? He insulted my guild. I have every right to do what I want to him." She sees the desperate look in Mira and decides to give up. Synthia stands up and walks closer to Mira. To her, Mira looks familiar. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mirajane Strauss," Mira says without taking her eyes off the woman.

Synthia's eyes widen. "You're the S-class mage that retired?"

Mira looks at her with some confusion and nods.

"What are you doing here? I mean you can't fight."

Mira is taken aback from the words. The words themselves had truth to it, but she couldn't stop herself from coming. She hates feeling helpless and useless when everyone is fighting with everything. If she could do the littlest bit, she would take her chance. For some reason, staring at Synthia gives her a different feeling. Something that was lost long ago. Mira knows she and everyone is in danger, but something else is at play here. She musters up the courage to talk. "Even if I can't fight, I'll do what I can to help my family."

"Family?" Synthia mumbles underneath her breath. The word felt foreign on her tongue. She takes a step back in confusion. _Family._ Her mind repeats.

Mira sees Synthia backing away. The retired woman takes this time and helps her friends away. She calls over a few people to get the injured back into the guildhall, leaving her alone with the Phantom mage. Mira tries to talk but stops when she catches Synthia's gaze.

"Tell me. What is it like to have a family?" Synthia asks.

"It's an inseparable bond that ties people together." Mira answers quickly. The words are true. Fairy Tail had given her and her siblings a home and a new family. She had grown up rather rebellious, but no one treated her any differently. She loves the guild with all her heart, no matter the cost.

"The last time I had something like that was when my little sister was still alive." Synthia answers.

Mira's eyes soften. "I know what it's like to lose a sibling. I lost my younger sister two years ago." She still remembers the day clear as crystal. Her final moments with her sibling before death came. It was also the day she had given up wanting to be a mage. The cost took too much out of her and her brother. She wonders now if it was worth giving up as a mage. If she was still one, maybe she could still help her family more. It has been a long time since such questions had begun swirling around her mind.

"Maybe that's why she always admired Phantom Lord as a family," Synthia mutters aloud, "That alone gives me enough reason to fight you and your guild."

Mira swallows her breath and stands still. Is she ready to fight? Would using her magic dishonor her way of living? She glances around the battlefield. The determination in her family's eyes gives her a force to keep moving forward. Maybe, she could avoid the use of magic if she plays her cards right.

With a sharp look, she declares, "I'm fighting for my family. I refuse to lose or back down. I may be a retired mage, but that doesn't stop me from helping my family and friends."

Synthia looks at Mira. "How can you fight to protect someone who you just met? Don't you know the things she has done? She is a monster wh-"

"Lucy Heartfilia isn't a monster. She never wanted violence or bloodshed. Fairy Tail never turns their backs on someone who needs help. Lucy isn't innocent, but she isn't evil. She tries her best to move on from her mistakes and live every day to the fullest." Mira says proudly.

Synthia looks at her wide-eyed. She never in her life seen someone other than her sister, talk about someone with such praise. More shocking, Fairy Tail was willing to take in a monster to help her grow to a better person. _People change for the betta' sis'. Ya' just have to wait. Got it?_ Suddenly, her sister's words circle her mind. She clenches her teeth tightly. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to win!" She lurches forward and attacks. Mira meets her halfway as both fists come to a standstill by the other.

* * *

Lucy runs through the empty hallways.

The interior designs suited the theme of the castle structure. Large carpets and expensive paintings alongside knight statues. Lucy glances at them, looking for a door to find any other opponent. _Sheesh, these punks are loaded. They kinda remind of the stuff back in the mansion._ She thinks with a bored expression. She finally comes across a door and kicks it down. Much to her annoyance and surprise, on the other side, stands Aria and Juvia. She walks in and knits her eyebrows.

Lucy says, "Two versus one doesn't fair. Can't we fight one by one?"

Aria smiles. "I do hope you understand who you are Unova. A mage of class and level isn't normal."

Lucy frowns and glances at Juvia. "I thought you were on our side."

Juvia bland blue eyes stare above Lucy's side. "Just because I agreed with you doesn't mean I'm on your side."

Lucy's eyes fall out of their sockets. "What? You were asking if we would accept you. What happened to that!"

"Nothing," Juvia says, "It was a simple question I was curious about. Rest assured, you will be able to take the three of us on."

Lucy's confusion further ensues. _Three?_ She questions herself. She senses something coming at her and ducks away. She turns to see Gajeel giving her a malicious glare.

Gajeel smiles. "Let's see just how powerful you are." He turns his arm into a metal pole and aims for Lucy's face. She dodges and feels someone behind her. She quickly blocks with her arms and gets pushed back an enormous amount of water and air. Not wasting a second of her time, she dodges another attack from Gajeel and charges for Juvia. She throws a right hook at Juvia, who phases through it. Lucy backs away and grabs Gajeel's fist.

**_Celestial Dragon's Roar!_**

A luminous light of energy hits Gajeel, sending him back a few steps. Lucy takes this opportunity to attack Aria, who is completely missing from her vision. She dodges another Juvia and keeps her eyes peeled for any surprise attacks. Lucy feels the tension building up in her body as she sees only Juvia. Luckily, Lucy doesn't wait long for an attack to come at her. She quickly runs around the room to avoid the oncoming wind magic. Once she sees Aria and Gajeel, she goes for them. Gajeel meets her halfway, and both of them try to gain the upper hand on the other. Lucy lands a blow to Gajeel, leaving him dazed. She grabs him and pushes him towards his guildmates with the help of her magic.

Aria and Juvia move away but catch Gajeel, who seems furious. He glanced at Lucy with his blood boiling. She didn't have any major injuries from him or her fight with Sol. He glances at his guildmates, who are waiting on his next actions. He sighs in frustration and decides to for her, hoping to create a diversion for his guildmates. He aims for Lucy's, but she blocks with her arm and attacks his neck. He blocks and uses the opportunity to knee her. Lucy blocks it and swipes him off balance with her leg. He puts one hand on the ground and turns one of his legs into a metal pole. He swipes her in the gut, but she sees it first.

It hits her gut, but she catches most of the hit. Lucy smells Aria behind her and panics. She gets out of his magic field, only to land into Juvia, who sends scalding water. Lucy puts a guard up with her hands to prevent any damage. She feels the hot water on her skin, giving her an idea. She heats the water with her magic and makes the entire room into a foggy area. Though this limits her abilities to a small extent, she has a total feel over the area.

Gajeel cracks his knuckles and makes his arm into a metal pole. Quickly using it to get rid of the fog, he smells Lucy behind him. He positions his footing and sends a metal rod at her. She dodges and energizes her fist. She throws a right straight into Gajeel's face. The magic disperses upon impact, pushing him away.

**_Water Slicer!_**

Lucy dodges Juvia's attack and gets away. Lucy feels Aria sending a wave of air into her, throwing her off balance. She skids back and glares at her opponents._ They're toying with me, but they're getting frustrated. I need to find a hole in their teamwork and use it against them. I need to step my game and scare them a little._ Lucy thinks calmly. She lights her fists and stands in a battle position.

"Do you think you can take the three of us on your own?" Gajeel asks.

"I don't think I can. I know I can." Lucy answers confidently.

Gajeel grits his teeth in frustration. _We need to end this soon. We're playing with each other now. But if I know anything, we're gonna fall for her trap._ He thinks. He leaps forward while Lucy meets him halfway. Once again, both dragon slayers are in a power struggle.

* * *

In the control room, Jose smiles brightly.

On the lacrima screens, he has a complete view of the battles within his guild and Magnolia. The activation of the _**Abyss Break**_ is closer, but he as a hard time keeping down his excitement,

A member slowly walks up to him. "Sir, I have some news." They slowly say. Seeing Jose's nod, the member continues, "It appears our smaller branches have been wiped out."

Jose smashes his hand against the handle of his chair and stands up. "Are you telling me 50 our smaller branches have been annihilated in a few minutes?" He sees the member nodding weakly and walking away. He feels his nerves twitching but calms himself. _There's no point in getting mad. Besides, it doesn't matter. In the next 20 minutes, Lucy Heartfilia will be in our hands._ He thinks mischievously.

In a split second, a part of the wall is blown up. The debris hitting in several directions as everyone scrambles to find safety. As the smoke clears, Laxus and Erza's figures appear. They both walk in and glance at Jose, who is standing proudly. Laxus sends some waves of electricity toward the members, knocking them instantly while Erza takes out her side.

"I must say, I'm impressed. You managed to take down 50 of my smaller branches without much trouble. And you seem to be giving my guild trouble." Jose says.

Erza summons a sword in her hand points it at Jose. She says, "You attacked our guild. We won't let you leave freely or unharmed."

Jose chuckles loudly. "I don't see the big problem with it. I'm doing Makarov a favor by taking away that wretched monster."

Erza tightens the hold of the sword while her eyes sharpen. "Lucy is not a monster. She is a member of Fairy Tail."

Laxus grins hearing those words. "As much as I hate Unova, she isn't a monster as you idiots make her out to be. Besides, it won't be fun without her around. I mean who else can take a hit from my lightning and move instantly."

Jose furrows his eyebrows and asks, "Are you threatening me with that lame power?"

Laxus's grin becomes wider. "It's not lame. I don't care if you're on par with my Gramps, we're taking you down like tomorrow's trash."

Jose hears enough of their talk and snaps. "When I'm done, you'll ever regret talking back to me!"

* * *

**End of the chapter. A total of 15k words. **

**The major changes I've made are pretty obvious, but I need to clarify a few things before moving on.**

**-As it stands, Lucy is stronger than Natsu by a mile or two, simply because of her training and her time spending taking out dark guilds and such. I'm not making her an overpowered character as most fanfiction I've read makes her out to be. She is strategic to take on several members by herself, even if they are S-class. But that doesn't mean she one-shots them. She is a smart and powerful person. So, she thinks before she acts. I know this changes what I said earlier, but seeing this from a different point, it makes sense for her to be powerful. Does that mean she is more powerful than Laxus or Erza? Eh. Not every individual is the same, so it comes down to the battle itself. That being said, the others do catch up to her strength or near that in due time. **

**-Erza's character is different from her Canon version, both physically and mentally. I'll explain the changes in the rewrite a little bit, but most of it will be in the coming chapters.**

**-I've changed Mira's character. I love her as a character, but I hated how she was used in the show. The thing with Lisanna happens, but things aren't played out the same. Elfman can already turn into his Beast Soul form without many problems because he has practiced a lot after "Lisanna's death." So, the main focus will be on Mira**

**-Juvia doesn't change much. I'll just expand on her character and adding how she kinda met with Jose. **

**-Laxus isn't going to try to take over the guild. I know in chapter six he makes a comment about it, but that's just to scare the members into leaving him alone. Fantasia will be a filler arc between this and the next one. After the end of this arc, Laxus, and the Thunder Legion will stay around the guild more because of this experience. **

**-I changed a little of how the fights play out with the Element Four. I mean they made a big deal out of the guys, but they got defeated easily. So, they're actually somewhat fighting like S-class mages. **

**-I know there wasn't much shipping and more arc building, but I promise you there will be some development soon. Just hold on.**

**-The Tower Of Heaven Arc will be done perhaps after the Edolas Arc because Erza doesn't use her strongest armors in before. The arc will be changed possibly drastically but not entirely. The sequences of events will play out differently. So after Phantom ends, Fantasia (break between the chapters) will happen. Then Oracion Seis. **

**I want to thank everyone for the amazing support. I might just thank everyone at the end of every chapter because why not. Y'all are reading my questionable story.**

**The next chapter might take some time depending on how I write it. Plus, I need to relax, so I don't overload.**

**Cya for now. Stay safe and at home! We'll all get through COVID-19 together! :)**


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